Who Said The All Spark Only Created Cybertron?
by Age of the Geek Baby
Summary: What if the All Spark created more than just Cybertron? What if the Veil led to another world and not death? My attempt at exploring this idea, as well as more 'what if' scenarios, including 'sparkling' Harry. Up for adoption, may/may not continue myself.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, shape, or form own the brilliance that is the 2007 movie of Transformers, or the Harry Potter series that was written by J.K. Rowling. If I owned either, I would be driving a yellow Camaro with racing stripes, because Bumblebee is awesome.

Spoilers: If you haven't read the entire Harry Potter series or seen the Transformers movie, then somethings can be seen as spoilers, mainly for the last three Harry Potter books and possibly for the Transformers movie.

Warnings: Language, depending on what you find offensive. Completely AU. Jock bullying, sorta. Insanity, of sorts. Near death experiences.

A/N: My poor attempt at writing what can be a truly brilliant fanfic. I may continue writing it, but for now I'm posting this as complete and up for adoption for anyone who wants to attempt giving this a shot. Just please give me credit for coming up with the idea if you do use it. The second chapter are a few 'what if' scenarios that I thought of while writing this. Anyway, enjoy.

Word Count: 7,800  
Posted: 7 July 2009  
Status: Up for adoption/on hold until further notice

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Chapter One:**

Fidgeting, he tried his best not to let his nerves show as he shifted in his seat yet again. It had only been two weeks, but his entire life had been changed dramatically in that short period of time. And it all started when he had gone shopping for a computer, because he was determined not to stay in the magical world once he graduated, not after losing Sirius to the Veil.

_****Flashback****_

_He had been browsing the small electronics store for a computer, or possibly a laptop, that would make his transition into muggle life easier once he learned how to operate the machine, when pain blazed through his mind, centering around the thrice cursed scar he bore upon his forehead. Voldemort had found him. He was so screwed._

_He darted for the door, only for Voldemort to burst into the store with his Death Munchers through the backroom. Completely defenseless, considering Vernon had locked his wand away with the rest of his things in his former room, he tried to will his magic to take him as far away as he possible could get. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he felt the magic in the area rise dramatically, the electronics in the store flickering as the overabundance of energy began to short out circuits._

_Voldemort didn't even get a chance to taunt him when the world exploded. The high concentration of magic in the area, as well as the large number of electronics, most of which were on, was an explosive combination. Harry was just dimly aware of intense heat and a searing pain that tore through his very core before he passed out completely._

_When he next woke up, he was staring at the Veil that had claimed his godfather not even more than two months before. He had barely even processed where he was when a loud voice boomed from behind him. Turning, he saw Fudge glaring at him in triumph._

_"You have been sentenced to death for the use of dark magic that blew up a muggle store and killed three people, including You-Know-Who. Your attempt to take the Dark Lord's place has failed. Any last words?"_

_Smiling bitterly, Harry had taken great pleasure in snarling at Fudge. "Sure. I leave all of my worldly possessions to be divided evenly between those that Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Remus Lupin deem worthy. Also, I invoke the Founders' Wrath as one of their heirs. All who have wronged me in the past will be at the mercy of the enchantments that they have left all over our world. You'll get what's coming to you."_

_Fudge paled drastically at the magic that could be felt all around the world as Harry's words activated spells and enchantments that had long laid dormant over the centuries, but had now been activated by the last living heir of the four founders of Hogwarts. His fear didn't show for long as Fudge sneered at him, taking great pleasure in snapping his wand before ordering for him to be pushed through the Veil._

_Harry didn't give the Aurors a chance to carry out Fudge's orders, walking towards the Veil with his head held high. He may not have wanted to die just yet, but he took small comfort in the fact that he would be seeing Sirius again and would finally have the chance to meet his parents. He had barely stepped through the Veil when he lost all of his senses. He just existed; time no longer holding any meaning to him. Just when he began to wonder if he had even died, his senses returned to him and he was immediately overwhelmed with the sudden onslaught of sensation._

_Freezing cold water, the taste of salt, the smell of the sea, and a glimpse of a clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds were all that his mind registered before the shock of having his senses back caused him to black out. He didn't even have time to wonder if he could die again after dying._

_When he woke again, he wished that he hadn't. He was in a hospital room, which meant that he was very much alive, and most definitely no longer in his world. Otherwise Sirius would have found some way to contact him if he had still been in their world after falling through the Veil._

_Snorting at the irony of his situation, Harry slowly opened his eyes, allowing himself to adjust to the brightness of the room. He had wanted to leave the magical world once he graduated from Hogwarts, he hadn't expected to literally leave the world he had grown up in. Of course, he shouldn't really have been too surprised. Sighing softly, he tried to think of a story he could convincingly tell the doctors when they came to question him._

_Noticing the television that was on, he watched the news that was playing only to gape as he saw Sirius' face displayed on the screen. His godfather was significantly older, but he also looked far healthier and happy, even if he could see sadness hidden deeply within his sparkling eyes. Finding the remote, he turned up the volume and listened to what was being said._

_"Lord Sirius Black died this weekend in a snow-boarding accident. Witnesses say that the English Lord had been laughing when he took an unexpected plunge off a hidden cliff. By the time rescuers reached him, Lord Black was just moments from dying. He was pronounced dead two minutes before the rescue helicopter touched down. One of the rescuers commented that Lord Black had died with a smile on his face, laughingly telling them that he wished his godson had been present to see him pull of the bloody amazing trick he had pulled before plummeting to what would be his untimely death."_

_Eyes widening, Harry didn't notice the tears streaming down his cheeks as he continued to watch what seemed to be a program special on his godfather. "Lord Sirius Black first entered the public eye ten years ago when he was found completely naked on the beaches of Hawaii. The young Lord had been missing for nearly two months, along with his five year old godson, who he had gained custody of when Lord Potter and his wife were brutally murdered just months after their infant son's first birthday. When Lord Black was found, the search for his boat and godson was renewed, but after an additional two months of searching, young Harry Potter's body had yet to be found. Even as the years passed, Lord Black still hadn't given up on finding his godson alive, which brings us to the large controversy sparked over Lord Black's will."_

_Snorting, Harry choked back a sob as a video of his godfather was played. "I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound mind, leave all of my worldly possessions and what not to my godson, one Harry James Potter. No proof of identity need be given for my godson to claim what I have left to him. All that he needs to do is answer three questions. I know that you're alive Emeralds, but since my lawyer's an even greater prick than Snivelous, Voldie, and his Death Munchers combined, you only have a month after my death to lay claim to what I have left to you. Otherwise, my vast fortune, which I made even greater by winning numerous lotteries, and a few bets on things that reminded me of you, will be going to various charities, as well as funding a nature reserve or five. Anyway Emeralds, this should be airing on numerous stations around the world, so you better claim my fortune before my dear cousins try to dispute my will and get their slimy mitts on your money. Don't be sad when you hear this, especially if I died laughing. Unless I died a really pathetic death, then you had better mock me like any true Marauder would. I deserved to be mock if I died a really lame death like tripping and falling down some stairs, or getting hit by a car cause I wasn't looking where I was going. I'll say hi to your parents Emeralds, although I do hope that Lily doesn't kill me since I wasn't there for you like I should have been. I love you Emeralds, and don't worry about someone else claiming to be you, since only you should know the answers to the questions that I have left. And I left a little surprise just in case someone is able to fake being you. You won't have to worry about it."_

_The video ended and the reporter came back on. "It has only been a week since Lord Black's death, his funeral having been held today. Already, thousands around the world have tried to answer the three questions that were left to claim a literal fortune, but so far none have laid claim to it. Bellatrix Lestrange, Lord Black's cousin, as well as her sister, Lady Malfoy, have tried to dispute his will, claiming that his godson was dead, and had been for ten years, long enough for him to be declared legally dead, which should void Lord Black's will. So far, neither have had much luck in this matter. If you would like a try at proving yourself to be Lord Black's long lost godson, merely go down to your local police station and ask to be given a chance to answer the questions. Your answers will be sent to Lord Black's lawyer. There are limits though on who will be given a chance to answer the three questions left. Only males, with green eyes and black hair, between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, can try and answer these questions. It has been limited to this in case Harry Potter really is alive and may not be going by his real name or age. In other news..."_

_Harry had quit listening at this point, tears still silently streaming down his cheeks as he wondered what he should do. Time passed differently in this world, especially if he could assume that Sirius had appeared in this world ten years ago. The evening news ended to be replaced by a sitcom, but Harry didn't care as he flinched when there was a loud clatter as a nurse dropped the tray of food she had been carrying, a hand covering her mouth when she saw him sitting up, wide awake._

_Blinking, he barely was able to hastily wipe away his tears when the nurse returned with several doctors. Forcing himself not to fidget, he did his best to keep from being sarcastic as the doctors asked him various questions as they checked his vitals and what not. He was just about to snap and threaten to shove the light up the doctor's ass when a police officer entered the room. Sighing quietly, Harry prepared himself to answer some uncomfortable questions._

_It took nearly two hours, but he finally managed to convince the officer that the last thing he remembered was shopping for a computer in London, and then the brief moment in the ocean, before waking up in the hospital room. He also carefully constructed a story about how he grew up in the cupboard under the stairs, doing all of the housework, and his 'cousin's' homework. He never went to school, and no one seemed to know that he existed. It was close enough to his real childhood that he could stick with the story, and it provided a reason why he had some form of education, but no actual records. He also made it seem like he never left the house, unless he was running an errand, such as buying his 'cousin' a new computer since his 'aunt' and 'uncle' didn't have time to go shopping for one when they would be taking his 'cousin' out to get what he wanted. Because he was never let out of the house unless absolutely necessary, he couldn't give a positive address, and the descriptions that he gave were a mixture of places and people that he knew in his world. Essentially, no matter how much they searched, the authorities wouldn't find his supposed 'relatives'. Especially after he told the officer that his name used to be Harry Potter, instead of Daniel Jones._

_After that, he spent the next four days going over in detail everything he could remember about his 'relatives' and where he had been living. When he had repeated himself for what felt like the hundredth time, the officers finally showed him pictures of Sirius and asked him if he recognized the man. He hadn't been able to stop the tears, and silently nodded. Then he had been asked the three questions that would allow him to claim the fortune that had been left to him._

_What were the Marauders' nicknames and what animals were they based off of? What was the password to the Marauders' Map? And what was Padfoot's other nickname? Chuckling, Harry had easily answered all three, only for Sirius' lawyer to show up the next day and ask him all three questions in person, as well as hand him a hand drawn map of Hogwarts. He needed to correctly label where the Great Hall, the kitchens, Dumbledore's office, and Gryffindor tower were. He also needed to label all of the tables in the Great Hall correctly. Once he did that successfully, he found himself being provided with a new identity, one that Sirius had prepared for him, as well as new guardians until he turned of age._

_That was how he had found himself with nothing more than two sets of clothes, a file containing his new identity, and a small box containing the debit card to the account that had been left to him until he could fully access the Potter and Black fortunes, on a flight from Hawaii to California with Sirius's lawyer, who really was just as bad as he described. Harry was rather amused though at how Sirius had chose just who would be his guardians. He had chosen the Witwicky family, for the simple reason that it had been the couple that had discovered his naked form and got him the help he had desperately needed._

_Now, exactly two weeks since that day in London, he found himself sitting in the living room of the Witwicky house as the lawyer explained who he was and how the couple had come into guardianship of him. Which was why he was so nervous and fidgeting in his seat. His previous experience with the Dursleys made him extremely wary of what to expect._

"Well, everything is in order. Mr. Evans, I will be in touch with you later when it is time for you to fully claim what Lord Black left to you, as well as with details for what your parents left to you as well. Have a good day, Mr. Witwicky, Mrs. Witwicky."

Staring at the Witwicky couple, he wondered just how he should act. He settled on being polite at the very least. "Ron, you need to go and pick up Sam. I'll get Orion settled in. We can discuss things later tonight. Come along Orion, you must be tired after your flight. You can take a nap after you get settled in your room."

A bit overwhelmed, Orion didn't hesitate to follow the redheaded woman upstairs to what was clearly a guest room. "They didn't even let you shop for some clothes did they?"

"No ma'am. The officers didn't want to risk me being found, and Sirius's lawyer said that I could shop on my own time."

"Call me Judy. We'll be changing that, but that can wait until after you've had a chance to get a decent night's sleep. You look exhausted. I'll wake you for dinner, so go ahead and take a nap. Are you allergic to anything?"

"No, ma'am, not that I know of."

"Well, that's good for you. And call me Judy. If you need anything, I'll be downstairs or working in the backyard. Don't hesitate to ask me for anything if you need something. I'll wake you in time for dinner."

Nodding absentmindedly, Orion dropped his bag on the floor, toed off his shows, and crawled into the queen sized bed as soon as Judy left the room. He was sound asleep within moments of his head hitting the pillow. Not only had the flight been long, he had slept very little during the past week. His exhaustion had finally caught up to him, not that he minded.

Grinning, Sam practically bounced in his seat as his dad drove. He had gotten the two grand and three A's he needed, and now he was going to get a car. Pulling into the dealership, Sam thought his heart was going to stop.

"No way, Dad! A Porsche? You're getting me a Porsche?!"

"No, I'm not getting you a Porsche."

Glaring at his father, Sam sulked in his seat. That had been cruel, and a bit funny, but he would never admit that in his life. Looking at the beat up cars in the used car dealership, Sam was beginning to wonder if he should ask if they could go somewhere else. Then he saw it. The paint was faded, and there was a bit of rust on it, but the yellow Camaro with racing stripes had to be the best vehicle on the lot. Sitting behind the wheel, he grinned. It wasn't what he had been expecting for his first car, but it was definitely better than any of the other cars he had seen.

Not really caring how all the glass seemed to break in the other vehicles, Sam just grinned as 'Uncle Bobby B' lowered the price to four thousand. He had a car, which put him one step closer to getting a girl.

"Sam." Looking out his window, Sam was slightly surprised to see his dad frowning.

"Before we get home, you should know that we'll be taking care of the godson of an old family friend. He's your age, so the two of you will probably get along." Shrugging, Sam decided not to comment. He would reserve judgment until he actually met the kid, right now he was more interested in driving his new car home.

Checking his eBay account, he groaned. He still didn't have any money. He had the car to take out the girl, but he didn't have any money. Leaving his room, he considered picking up Miles and going down to the lake but had to ditch that idea when he saw a green-eyed beauty helping his mother carry flowers. "Oh Sam, meet Orion. Orion, my son Sam."

"Hello. It's nice to meet you." Slightly startled by the soft voice and British accent, Sam shrugged a bit.

"Um, hi."

"Sam, I don't like footprints on my grass. That's why I built my path." Still stunned by the petite teen's beauty, Sam silently stepped onto the path his father built. Orion was tiny, standing at only about five foot four with large emerald green eyes. His shoulder length black hair only served to emphasize his pale skin and stunning eyes. He was dressed simply in black jeans and a black dress shirt over a green t-shirt. The half open black shirt, elvin features, and loose hanging hair made it rather easy to mistake the short teen for a girl, and he was sure that he would have if he didn't know that the teen was the _godson_ of the old family friend.

"Sam, can you take Orion with you? He needs to go shopping, and it'll give the two of you a chance to get to know each other. I'll expect the both of you back by midnight."

"Sure. Come on Orion."

"Let me put these down." Depositing the flowers next to where his mom was working, Sam grinned as he watched Orion dust his hands off and walk towards him. His mom had extended his curfew by an hour which meant that she must really like the smaller teen. He could work with that.

Sliding into the passenger seat, Orion tried not to let his shock show as he felt a pulse of energy that felt like his magic come from the vehicle. He didn't have a chance to ponder it for long as Sam spoke.

"Did you want to go anywhere specific?"

"Um, do you know where we can find some girls? It's easier to act as a human doll than to shop for myself. Plus, it has the added bonus of making sure anything that I pick up looks good on me."

Grinnnig, Sam headed for the lake. "There's a party going on down by the lake. I'm pretty sure you can find someone willing to help us."

Parking, the two got out and made their way towards the group of teenagers scattered around the lake. Sam suppressed a groan when he saw Trent. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sam didn't get the chance to answer as Orion spoke.

"Sam's giving me a tour, showing me the sights."

"Why don't you stick around and ditch this loser. I can show you the best spots around." Trent leered at him, causing Orion to give a sweet smile.

"Thanks, but I'd rather swallow a bottle of acid first. Besides, I don't think your girlfriend appreciates you hitting on another guy, unless she's interested in having a threesome, which I doubt."

The horrified look that Trent wore had Sam struggling not to laugh. His humor didn't last for long though as Trent took a threatening step towards Orion. Next to the jock, Orion looked even smaller.

"You think that's funny?" Trent loomed over Orion, trying to look intimidating. It wasn't working.

"It's bloody hilarious." Before Trent could take a swing, Mikaela stepped between the two and pushed her boyfriend back.

Orion didn't really care as he turned towards Sam. "I guess we're on our own. Man, I hate shopping."

Moving back towards the car, Orion was just about to climb in when he noticed Sam staring at the girl that had stepped between him and the arrogant jock. "Sam?"

"Yeah?" Sam still hadn't taken his eyes off of her. Rolling his eyes, Orion climbed into the backseat.

"Get in the car and drive up next to her. I'll do the talking lover boy."

Amused as Sam scrambled into the car, Orion leaned out the window as they drove up next to her.

"Hi, I'm Orion. Do you mind if we kidnapped you for the evening?" Widening his eyes, Orion looked at her innocently, trying not to laugh as she looked at him to see if he was serious.

"Actually, I need help buying a new wardrobe, and anyone with half a brain knows that a pretty girl is the best person to ask for help when they don't know what they're looking for. Plus, I've been told that I make a good human doll."

"Okay. I'm Mikaela by the way."

Leaning back, Orion grinned. "You already know Sam, I'm sure. I'm new to the area and staying with the Witwicky family. Sam was nice enough to offer to take me shopping. So Mikaela, where should we go? And money isn't a problem for me, so don't worry about a budget. I'll even get you both something that you want. It's only fair since you're helping me."

That was the start of a three hour shopping spree at the mall. Sam and Mikaela had fun dressing him up in various outfits, and they did end up buying several bags of clothes, shoes, and various accessories. Then they spent an hour looking for something that Mikaela and Sam would like. He picked up numerous giftcards for Sam, ending up at a total of three hundred dollars. Mikaela was harder to convince, but she finally caved when Orion gave her his puppy eyes and told him that she wouldn't mind getting some tools. Sam was a bit surprised when she told them that her dad was a real grease monkey and taught her everything he knew about cars.

Grinning, Orion had dragged the two into the tools section of Sears and proceeded to buy a tool cabinet and tools to put in it. He had spent nearly two thousand dollars before he was satisfied, and smirked as he asked for the entire purchase to be delivered to Mikaela's house tomorrow. It was dark by the time they piled into Sam's Camaro, the trunk and half the backseat filled with bags.

"Orion, I-"

"Don't even think about refusing to accept my gift. Besides, you can always teach me and Sam how to fix up cars. It really isn't a big deal. My parents left me a fortune, and I also have a trust fund. Money really doesn't matter to me, and I like you guys. Getting you the tools just gives me and Sam an excuse to hang out with you more."

"I don't think you'll win this one Mikaela. We're here." Putting the car in park, Sam turned to smile at Mikaela.

"I had fun. Thanks for the tools Orion. And thanks for listening Sam. Do you think I'm shallow?"

"No, no. I think that, there's more to you than meets the eye."

Smiling, Mikaela got out. "Okay. I'll see you in school Sam. It was nice meeting you Orion."

"Sam's right Mikaela, you aren't shallow. Although, I do think that we'll need to have an intervention if you hook up with Trent again. I'm sure that Sam agrees when I say that you're far too smart and pretty for a brain-damaged jock like him."

"Yeah." Nodding, Sam watched with a goofy smile as Mikaela waved good-bye to them from her front door. Still grinning widely, he started the car and headed home. "Thanks Orion."

"You're welcome."

Smiling as he put the last of his clothes away, Orion crawled into bed, only to groan as he heard the Camaro's engine purr to life. Getting out of his bed, he followed Sam out of the house and grabbed him before he could take off completely on his bike. "Got another bike?"

Grabbing what had to be his old bike, Orion quickly followed Sam. The taller teen may not have noticed, but he could see that the car was driving itself, which had him wondering if it was similar to the old Ford Angelina that was currently living in the Forbidden Forest of his old world. But, it felt different. The Ford had felt rather like an echo, a ghost of a living being. It was sentient, but not truly alive, just an echo. The Camaro was sentient, and alive.

He could feel its life pulsing, rather like a heartbeat, but the energy that he felt from it was vastly different to anything he had ever felt before, except for his own magic. Orion wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry when he glimpsed the giant yellow robot, that clearly was Sam's Camaro.

Backing away with Sam, Orion cursed when he glimpsed the dogs. Grabbing Sam's hand, he dragged the other boy as he began to sprint. He was starting to wish that he had just stayed in the house when they scrambled up onto a pair of barrels to escape the snapping jaws of the two guard dogs. Then Sam's car showed up and chased the dogs away. As Sam threw the keys and made to run, Orion darted after the car, managing to bang his head against the door frame as he tripped.

"You aren't going anywhere. Shut yourself off now." The words were whispered harshly, but Orion wasn't in the mood to be nice. Thankfully, the car listened to him and he snagged Sam's keys form the ground and moved towards where Sam had banged his head against the hood of the police cruiser.

Ignoring the blood trickling down the side of his face, he glared at the officers. "He got away while you two were busy ignoring your surroundings. I didn't even get a glimpse of his face, but he had some kind of skeleton key that he used to steal the car."

"Get your hands on your head!"

Glaring darkly, Orion wondered if he would get in trouble if he decked the officer in front of him.

"What was that Fifty-Cent? Were you eyeballing my piece?"

"Are you on drugs?"

"I want your badge number, as well as the name of your superior. You are making false accusations and won't even allow me to file an assault report. Sam's right, you're the one acting like you're on drugs."

It took another hour, but they finally were released and Orion took grim satisfaction in knowing that the idiot officer would be taking a drug test. It seemed that they were the last straw that broke the camel's back. Collapsing into bed, Orion decided that he would deal with the Camaro later. He needed to sleep before he would even begin to ponder the giant robot turned Camaro, especially considering it looked like a more complex version of his Animigus form, which he still hadn't even managed to shift into just yet. One of the other reasons he had been studying electronics and how magic affected them.

Groaning, Orion slowly opened his eyes, only to wish that he hadn't as he felt four other signatures similar to the Camaro's. This was not going to be a pleasant evening. Looking outside his window, he sighed as he saw Sam and Mikaela in the backyard, both looking rather frazzled. Having long ago accepted that his life would never be normal, he dug around his new clothes for a suitable outfit for what looked to be a very long night. Finally settling on a pair of black cargo pants, he slid them on, a studded belt making sure they stayed on his slim hips. Pulling out a black long-sleeved underarmour shirt, he squirmed into the skin clinging material, a black vest was zipped over it.

Hearing Sam arguing with his parents, he made his way out of his room and into Sam's, just as Mikaela introduced herself. Tying his hair back into a tight braid, he tucked it down the back of his vest so it would stay out of the way. Following Sam and Mikaela into the kitchen, he quickly tied on his black boots.

"You guys distract my parents while I slip out the back and give them the glasses." Orion shrugged, knowing that he could get an explanation later. Sam never got the chance to slip out the back though as they glimpsed men swarming around outside. Frowning, Orion followed Sam and Mikaela to the front door and grinned as he heard Judy threatening to kick ass if the man didn't get his men out of her flowers.

"Bingo, bag them and tag them." Handcuffed, Orion started to snicker as he was shoved into an SUV between Sam and Mikaela. His life was just too surreal at times. His snickers quieted down as they began to drive away. Sitting silently, he idly listened to Sam and Mikaela talk with Simmons. His attention was focused on the five beings he could sense. Hearing the meter go off, he braced himself for impact.

When the car landed, the roof completely torn off, he grinned as Sam spoke.

"Taking the children was a bad mistake." Ignoring the drama going on, he quickly picked his handcuffs and climbed out of the car. Moving towards Optimus Prime, he carefully studied the giant robot. Alien robots, he could deal.

"Bumblebee, stop lubricating the man." Snorting with laughter, Orion let Sam and Mikaela deal with the secret agents, instead turning his attention back to Optimus Prime.

"Hi, I'm Orion. We can do full introductions later though."

"Agreed. Up you get."

Clinging to Optimus Prime's shoulder with Sam and Mikaela, Orion grinned as they ditched the helicopters and hid under a bridge. His grin quickly disappeared when Mikaela fell, the only thing keeping her from a messy death was Sam's grip on her. Moving to help, he was a moment too late as Sam lost his grip entirely and fell, Optimus swinging forward, trying to catch the two teens on his foot. He managed to slow their fall, which gave Bumblebee enough time to snag them. Unfortunately, it also caused Orion to loose his balance and plummet down to the hard concrete.

The harsh impact he expected never happened as he found himself floating momentarily before landing with a soft thud. It seemed that his magic still worked. Rushing over towards Sam and Mikaela, he managed to latch himself onto one of Bumblebee's entangled limbs. Feeling the large robots fear, he desperately tried to tear him free, only to be yanked off by two soldiers. Snarling, Orion yanked himself free and tackled one of the men that were freezing the large yellow robot. But like Sam, he found himself being dragged towards the vehicles and ordered to be placed in with Mikaela.

Finding himself in a helicopter, Orion did his best to keep from loosing his temper. Arriving at Hoover Dam, he could feel Bumblebee's pain and tried his best not to let it overwhelm him. Listening to Simmons talk, he found himself going rigid with fear as he felt Megatron. The vicious looking robot felt dark, but that wasn't what had him trembling. He could feel a taint that whispered of madness and cruelty. It was even worse than Voldemort's presence.

Listening to Sam describe the All-Spark, and how Megatron wanted to use it, Orion felt a growing sense of dread fill his stomach. Even more so once he saw and felt the Cube. It was raw energy, and just being near it had him buzzing. Watching the phone transform, Orion felt sick when Simmons fried it, killing it. The tiny robot may have been insane, touched with the same taint as Megatron, but it still was alive. The All-Spark created life.

Desperately trying not to be sick, Orion didn't pay attention to his surroundings until he saw Bumblebee. He was latched onto the robot's left leg before anyone could blink, and didn't let go until Bumblebee held the now mini Cube. Taking it from the robot, he quickly got into the Camaro with Sam and Mikaela, sitting in the back seat as he held onto the Cube. The energy of the Cube seeped into him, making him able to sense the alien robots even more clearly. Which was why he could feel what had to be the Decepticons catching up behind them.

Entering the city, chaos ensued when they were attacked. Struggling to his feet, he snagged the Cube and made his way to Sam and Bumblebee, eyes welling with tears as he saw the injured robot struggling to get up. Wiping his tears away, he quickly moved to help Sam and Mikaela hook Bumblebee up to the tow truck.

Grabbing the Cube from Sam, Orion held it tightly. "I'll hold onto this. I have experience running for my life. Keep up." With no time to argue, Sam simply nodded and the two sprinted towards the building that Lennox had pointed them to. Seeing Starscream, Orion tackled Sam out of the way until the cost was clear. Narrowly avoiding colliding with a SUV, Orion darted to the side and sprinted as fast as he could, Sam right on his heels. Feeling Megatron getting even closer, Orion pushed himself to move even faster. Refusing to look back, he put his experience of sprinting to class when he was late in a castle full of staircases to good use as he headed for the roof. Making it to the roof, he heard Sam light the flare. Seeing the helicopter, he ran to hand the Cube over, only to fling himself back as a missile was fired. Sam dragged him to his feet and over to the edge of the building.

Fear stealing away his voice, he was vaguely aware of Sam telling Megatron that he would never hand over the Cube. Clinging to Sam, Orion felt himself falling as Megatron destroyed the building beneath them. Optimus Prime caught them before they could fall to their death, cradling them against his chest to protect them as he made his way down to the street.

"Sam, Orion, you risked your lives to protect the Cube."

"No sacrifice, no victory."

"If I cannot defeat Megatron, you must push the Cube into my chest. I will sacrifice myself to destroy it. Get behind me."

Doing as they were told, Orion handed the Cube to Sam. "Sam, throw me the Cube when I tell you to. If Optimus is determined to destroy it, then we'll take Megatrn out as well."

He had barely finished speaking when they were forced to dart apart by an explosion. Seeing Optimus down, and Megatron crawling towards them, he locked eyes with Sam, reflexes allowing him to snag the Cube in mid air, roll beneath Megatron, and shove the Cube up. Power surged through him as it combined with Megatron's spark. In moments, the cube was gone.

"Sam, Orion, I owe you my life. We are in your debt."

"Prime, we couldn't save him." Looking at the torn body, Orion darted forward.

"He's still alive. I can barely feel him, but he's still clinging to life." Scrambling, he climbed up Optimus Prime's leg and onto Jazz's chest, slipping into his exposed spark chamber. He had barely touched Jazz's spark when he found himself being drained. He didn't try to fight it, instead pushing as much energy as he could spare into the nearly lifeless robot. He was vaguely aware of a few surprised shouts before he slipped unconscious.

Optics wide, Ratchet immediately went to work, stabilizing Jazz as quickly as he could. He was still in critical condition, not to mention in stasis lock, but the small boy seemed to be keeping Jazz's spark from fading, energy flowing between the two in a continuous cycle. Connecting various circuits and fuel lines together as quickly as he could, Ratchet was relieved when the energy being pulled from the boy dropped to a thin trickle, just enough to keep Jazz stable.

"Optimus, I need to repair Jazz in the next few hours before the boy loses anymore energy."

"Load them onto Ironhide. Will you be able to use parts we can scrounge up here?"

"For a temporary fix only. But it will buy me enough time to properly repair him."

"Alright. Take Ironhide and find a building you can use. I'll find the parts that you'll need as well as grab Bumblebee's legs."

"No, you had better all find a place to hide. We'll get the parts and tools that you'll need. Give us a list and we'll see that you get what you need." Shouldering his gun, Lennox stared up at Optimus, daring the Autobot leader to argue.

"Very well. Ratchet, what do you need?"

Rattling off a long list of items and tools, Ratchet carefully placed Jazz's body into Ironhide's bed. Running even more scans, he added another dozen items. It was a race against time. How the boy had even picked up on the faint pulse of Jazz's spark had him baffled, but he wouldn't wonder on it until after he had Jazz out of stasis lock.

"Ratchet, I'm going with you. I can help." Needing all the help he could get, especially with the more delicate areas, he simply ordered Mikaela to climb into Ironhide's cab.

Groaning, Orion curled himself into an even smaller ball. His entire being was exhausted, so much so that he wasn't even able to open his eyes before he slipped back into sleep. When he next woke, he found himself being carefully deposited onto a soft bed of cushions. Forcing himself to stay awake, he opened his eyes and looked up into a vaguely familiar face.

"Yo Ratchet, he's awake." Groaning, he half-heartedly glared at the mech.

"I should have left you for scrap." His voice was hoarse and barely legible, but his displeasure was clearly heard. A deep chuckle from beneath him rumbled through him, startling him slightly. It seemed that he was lying in the bed of Ironhide's truck.

"Don't try to move." Ignoring the medic's orders, Orion slowly eased himself into a sitting position, using the ample amount of cushions to prop himself up.

"I'm just drained, nothing else. If I was out for longer than a week, than you can worry." Feeling both stiff and limp as a noodle was not a pleasant experience, but Orion ignored his discomfort so he could study Jazz.

The mech was sitting next to his bed, looking rather battered but whole, which was a vast improvement from when he last saw him. He could still feel himself being drained, but was hesitant to cut the connection.

"How long was I out?"

"Three days. Jazz, you're still draining him. Can you stop it?"

"I don't know how to." The frustration and worry soothed Orion far more than it probably should have, but it was a relief to know that Jazz was at least stable enough to no longer need his energy. Carefully pulling his energy back to him, the link he had created faded away until it no longer existed. Relieved that Jazz seemed to be fine without his energy, he sunk further into his nest of cushions.

"Primus. How did you do that? How did you transfer energy into Jazz's spark?"

"No idea. I can feel your sparks, which was how I knew that Jazz was still alive, if just barely. I forced my energy into him to keep him alive, so he can heal. My energy would have been leeched into him until I was down to just what I needed to keep alive or I woke up and stopped it. I'm nearly tapped out as it is, so I really hope that you won't need to use me as a battery again."

Content to just lounge, he hoped that he wouldn't be questioned more. He was exhausted, which made him cranky, even if he was happy that he had been able to save Jazz. Flinching when a light was shined in his eyes suddenly, he gave a soft groan before turning and squirming his way into his cushions until he was completely hidden from sight.

"I'm fine. Go 'way." Cuddling into his cushions, Orion hid his face as he felt the cushions carefully being lifted off of him. He couldn't even escape from alien doctors, and the thought only made him groan again when he realized that his Animigus form clearly had to be a younger version of the mechs. His life really was too surreal.

"Ratchet, what are you doing?"

"Searching for a buried patient. Optimus, come and help me dig him out." Crawling even further into the cushions, Orion hoped that Ratchet would be stopped before he was found. He really didn't feel like being examined at the moment.

"Ratchet, have you even introduced yourself?" Optimus sounded amused, causing Orion to grin as he used the chance to crawl into Ironhide's cab through the back window. Ducking down with his pilfered cushion, he hoped that he wouldn't be ratted out. A soft chuckle echoed quietly in the cab before warm air began to blow gently through the vents. Smiling, he curled around his cushion in the backseat and quickly fell asleep. A nap sounded lovely, especially since it would allow him to regain his leeched energy as well as allow him to avoid an examination for a little longer.

"Ratchet, let the youngling be. Is Jazz stable enough to transport?" Giving an annoyed huff, Ratchet dropped the cushion he had been holding.

"As long as he isn't jostled too badly, he will be fine. He still can't shift into his alt mode, not until I can properly repair him, but he isn't in danger of going into stasis lock again. It will be a while before he's cleared to do more than sit around."

Any argument that Jazz may have made was cut off by Ironhide. "Don't even think about arguing Jazz. The kid won't be able to keep you from off-lining again, not without killing himself. From the way Ratchet's fussing over him, he nearly did himself in the first time. It also doesn't help that he couldn't receive proper medical attention because he couldn't be moved more than three meters from you. I'll chain you up myself if you don't behave. Now make yourself useful and stuff those cushions into my cab so he's less likely to hurt himself if he rolls over."

Opening his doors, he slowly eased himself closer to Jazz, revealing the sleeping form in his backseat. Subdued, Jazz did as he was asked. His brush with death really sinking in with how willing Ironhide was to not only assist Ratchet with keeping him grounded, but his gentle care of the petite human that had saved him, Jazz decided to do exactly as Ratchet told him for once. Stacking the cushions on the floor, he made sure that even if Ironhide were to suddenly slam on the brakes, the boy would fly forward into a thick stack of cushions. He would be safe, not to mention comfortable, as he slept. Tossing the extra cushions into the front passenger seat, Jazz watched as Ironhide closed his doors with the softest of clicks.

"Ironhide, will you be able to haul Jazz?"

"Yes Optimus. Ratchet, how fast can I go?" He did not want to haul the smaller mech around any longer than he had to. Jazz would tease him mercilessly if he hauled him around at anything less than thirty miles.

"The speed limit. A hard jolt will tear something loose, which is why he can't shift into his alt mode until I fit him with stronger parts. Keller said that we'll have the parts he can get made without drawing unwanted attention in a week. Supplies to make the rest of what is needed ourselves should either be waiting for us, or arriving in the next few days. If we're lucky, Jazz should be fully repaired in a month. Bumblebee was lucky that I was able to fix his legs without too much difficulty. Optimus, I want a fully working medbay before anything else is done."

"And you'll have it Ratchet, as soon as possible. We should not have to rely on Orion unless absolutely necessary. He's risked his life for us more than enough already."

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A/N: Thanks for reading. If you review, please don't make any mentions of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, for I still have yet to see it. If you do want to adopt this story let me know since I would love to read it. Everything that is posted is everything that I have written/typed that concerns this idea. I hope that someone will choose to use this idea because I can see this being a truly good story, even if I can't write it myself. Thanks for reading, and reviews are always appreciated.


	2. More 'What If' Ideas

A/N: Just more 'what if' scenarios that I pondered while trying to explore the first one that I had thought of. They may appear fairly similar, but they have the potential of being vastly different. I find the idea of a 'sparkling' Harry to be both adorable and hilarious. I hope that I gave a reasonable explanation of how Harry could wind up in the Transformers universe. If someone does want to use this idea, don't feel compelled to use everything that I've written. I'm putting this up to see what will happen. Just please give me credit for using this idea and let me know, since I'd love to read anything written that was inspired by this.

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What if the Cube had created the Harry Potter world, before it disappeared in a rift to another dimension where it created Cybertron? What if the 'magic' of the HP world was just the Cube's energy manipulated differently than on Cybertron? Their 'magic core' was really just a human's ability to use the energy of a 'spark'. The Veil in the DoM leads to the Earth of the Cybertron dimension. Time passes much more quickly in this dimension than it does in the HP one. When Sirius falls through the Veil, he winds up accompanying Captain Witwicky on his adventure of the Artic Circle. When he dies, he leaves a literal fortune to the person that would be able to answer three questions, as well as find a key that he hid somewhere in the world, with only a riddle as a clue. A month after Sirius falls through the Veil, Harry ends up going through as well. His attempt to discover his animigus form leads to a rather spectacular explosion after Voldemort shows up. The Dark Lord dies(optional). Fudge declares Harry going Dark and has him executed. Dumbledore isn't able to prevent him from being sent through the Veil, either because Fudge won't listen or he figures that killing Harry would make him able to kill the Dark Lord himself since it was one less horroucux to deal with. Harry gets sent through the Veil. Wakes up in a hospital and sees a special on 'Lord Black's unclaimed fortune'. Knowing that he needs money, he quickly escapes from the hospital and makes his way to the lawyer's office indicated in the program he had seen. Answering the questions easily, he then has to solve the 'riddle' which was actually the exact location of where the key could be found without actually out right giving names. 'You can find the key to my fortune in the den of the lions where the motto is to never tickle a sleeping dragon. Then again, some lions are bolder than others and wouldn't hesitate to brave the flames.' Find Hogwarts (I think that the school motto is Latin for 'never tickle a sleeping dragon'), or the ruins that would be Hogwarts, and look in the fireplace of what would be the Gryffindor common room. Easy enough to do. Finding the key, which was the only copy, since the bank had destroyed theirs upon Sirius' death, Harry claims the fortune and establishes a new identity. As an emancipated minor, he goes to the States and ends up in Sam's school.

Before the Cube is destroyed: Harry buys the glasses, and thus ends up getting dragged into the chaos of the Autobot war with Sam and Mikaela(optional). Harry saves Jazz, keeping his Spark from dying completely by using his own Spark/'magic' to keep Jazz alive until Ratchet can stabilize him. Harry drops out of high school to help Autobots set up a new home, feels guilty about destroying the cube. His role in that can be as little as helping Sam or destroying the Cube himself. His direct contact with the Cube before it was destroyed allows him to shift into his Animigus form, which is a sparkling. Despite being nearly fully grown as a human, he is the equivalent of an infant or toddler as a Cybertronian/Autobot. He doesn't actually shift forms until a near death experience forces the change. Can incorparate something from RotF, if you've seen it. Although it might work better if it wasn't. Since he didn't willing change, he's stuck in that form. Autobots become insanely protective, especially when they realize that the sparkling is Harry. When other Autobots arrive, they discover chaos and the scary sight of a protective parental Ironhide. Sparkling Harry is able to transfer his Spark energy into others, which causes a few blown gaskets when Sparkling Harry does it to stabilize an injured newly arrived Autobot. Sparkling Harry is also able to sense each Autobot's unique Spark 'signature', same can be said for the Sparks of Decepticons. Ability to sense Energon(optional). Because the Cube was destroyed, no more Sparklings, but Ratchet soon discovers that the program that allows them to adapt to survive in foreign environments takes it one step further by giving them the ability to get 'pregnant'. He comes to this conclusion after Sparkling Harry asks rather 'innocently' if Autobots needed to use protection when they had what was the equivalent to sex. His demand for proof that Autobots can't possible get 'pregnant' leads to Ratchet discovering that their survival programming actually made it possible. A fail safe if the Cube was ever destroyed. When the Autobot couples are told to remain celibate, until a form of 'protection' can be found, hilarity ensues. Reasoning behind this was that they didn't want to bring any new sparklings into the world until they had a reliable source of Energon, since Sparklings were particularly dependent on it for the first so many years/centuries of their lives. The hilarity winds down when Sparkling Harry asks if the survivor program would even let them get pregnant if Sparklings couldn't survive without Energon. Ratchet once again examines it, and comes to the conclusion that although they could now get 'pregnant' it wouldn't happen if they didn't have a reliable source of Energon. As much as they could adapt, Energon was too essential for their survival to be replaced. As adults, they could last several centuries on the stores that they had and the fuels of Earth. Sparklings however, feed almost solely on Energon, which is why Sparkling Harry is watched over so carefully. The small amount of Energon they had, which wasn't alcoholic to a Sparkling was quickly disappearing. Sparkling Harry needs to change back into his regular self before supplies run out. Time can be bought with the arrival of more Autobots, or Sparkling Harry finding an alternate 'food' source that will sustain him, at least temporarily. Problems with Decepticons, and Megatron coming back, optional.

After the Cube is destroyed: Harry senses Bumblebee's spark, and tries to figure out what exactly he is feeling. He is about to decide to ignore it when he senses another spark on his way home. When he goes to investigate, he finds a badly injured Decepticon, preferably Barricade. It's the weekend, so he spends it fixing what he can after having the vehicle towed to his home. As he works on Barricade, he notices that the spark is fading. Curiousity getting the better of him, he uses his 'magic' to stabalize the spark. The extra energy he supplies helps Barricade to repair himself in what he can. By the time the weekend ends, Harry has repaired everything he can, and replaced what he could do safely. Barricade wakes up while he is at school and tries to figure out why the hell he isn't off-lined. When Harry returns, the Decepticon tries to intimidate him, but fails miserably. Giant alien robots, although strange, didn't scare him all that much. Ending up in a new world, with a fortune left to him by his godfather, made him rather hard to shock. Voldemort, Snape, and the handful of creatures he came across also made it hard to scare him. Giant alien robots seemed friendly compared to giant man eating spiders, or giant snakes that could kill with a single look. Definitely friendlier than soul sucking Dementors. So, a talking car threatening death, although a bit surprising, doesn't really scare him. Barricade is surprised when Harry orders him to stop with the death threats and tell him if there was anything else he could do to help. Fixes the Decepticon a bit more, but not enough for him to shift out of alt mode. Something happens which forces Harry to shift into his Animigus form in an attempt to protect himself, fire, collapsing building, falling off a cliff, something or other. Barricade finds the injured Sparkling Harry, sees him change(optional), and manages to get him into his backseat. Since he can't change out of his alt mode, and knows nothing on how to care for an injured Sparkling even if he could, he goes looking for the only mechs that can help. Finding Bumblebee, he follows him to the Autobot base. Ironhide threatens to blow him up until Barricade demands that he at least get the injured Sparkling to Ratchet before he does so. Sparkling Harry decides to make his presence known by demanding that Papa Ironhide be nice to Daddy Barricade. At this point, all the Autobots on the base are present to witness injured Sparkling Harry scolding his Papa and Daddy for fighting. He screams bloody murder when Ratchet tries to examine him, and doesn't stop until he's seated on Barricade's hood and clutching one of Ironhide's fingers. Things go smoothly from there as Ratchet repairs his injured leg/arm/chest/something. Then Ratchet turns his attention onto Barricade and has to contend with a stubborn patient, which leads to a hysterical Sparkling thinking that his Daddy was going to die, and that his Papa had to save his Daddy. Sparkling Harry doesn't calm down until after Barricade is in his mech form and he can latch onto one of his fingers, which he then falls asleep refusing to budge. Barricade then goes into the explanation of how the Sparkling was injured, how he was injured, and how it had been Harry that had managed to keep him from off-lining. When discussion turns to what should be done with Barricade, Ratchet quiets all arguments by stating that he'll be staying with Ironhide, unless they wanted the Sparkling to hate them. Thus begins Barricade's and Ironhide's adventure in parenthood. Before Sparkling Harry changes back, he needs to come up with nicknames for everyone, cause mass panic by disappearing for several hours, get into someone's stash of 'alcoholic' Energon, declare that he'll marry someone when he grows up, and gives someone a new paint job. When he turns back into a human, Harry brings Jazz back to life by using his bond with his sparkmate, since even though he's dead, he still has a connection to the living world through his sparkmate, a connection that won't disappear until after his body is destroyed in his funeral. Jazz can't get back on his own without something that can channel his spark through his connection to his sparkmate and back into his body. The All Spark has been used to do this before it was lost, only a handful of times, since most don't survive the loss of their sparkmate. Harry's ability to sense sparks, as well as channel energy leads to him feeling Jazz's desire to return to his body. So when he touches Jazz's sparkmate in an effort to understand what he was being asked, he finds himself blasted away and slamming into Jazz's body. As soon as he touches Jazz, the connection he needed to return to his body is made and Harry finds himself forced back into being a Sparkling before his body was overwhelmed by the sudden influx and withdrawal of energy. Jazz wakes up with a hysterical Sparkling Harry on his chest demanding for his Papa and Daddy. Problems with Starscream and Decepticons optional. If there are problems, have Harry kidnapped, as a human or Sparkling, and cause insanity until he is 'rescued'.

After being sent through the Veil: Harry wakes up in his animigus form, which is a sparkling, in a world different from his, still on Earth, but not his Earth. Beyond disoriented, he unknowingly releases a distress signal from where he is stranded. He is found by Ironhide, Barricade, or an evil organization bent on world domination; he's found by someone. Isn't capable of actual speech, but rather clicks, chirps, and whirs; the Cybertronian equivalent of baby talk.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. If you find something confusing, let me know and I'll try to explain my reasoning so that it makes sense. Again, feel free to use any idea, but please let me know because I would like to read it, and credit is nice as well. Again, thank you for taking the time to read this.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Spoilers: See first chapter.

Warnings: Language. Out of character. AU.

A/N: This idea won't leave me alone. So, I'll continue to post anything that I manage to write. I will not promise that this fic will be finished. I've been asked to alert readers if someone plans to use one of my ideas or to continue this story. I will be posting a list in my profile of the authors and the titles of their stories. I will also post in this story's summary 'check profile' once someone adopts/uses an idea.

Word Count: 3,643  
Posted: 8 July 2009  
Status: Up for adoption/sporadic updates

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Chapter Two:**

Slowly opening his eyes, he closed them with a groan. Exhaustion clung to him like a second skin, almost making him regret even attempting to open his eyes. He almost considered going back to sleep, but was stopped by a flash of red eyes in his mind. Eyes flying open, he shot up, ignoring how his body protested every single movement. Scrambling to his feet, he ended up tripping and falling flat on his face in his nest of cushions. Panic clawed at him as his last memory swam across his mind. Megatron demanding the Cube, his blood red optics glaring at him with insanity in their depths, his dark presence that was tainted with an evilness far worse than Voldemort had him beyond terrified. The panic attack that had tried to take hold of him was in full force as Orion found himself paralyzed with fear, his memory twisting into a waking nightmare as Megatron reached a clawed hand towards him.

In that moment, he was nothing more than a terrified child, something he had never before been allowed to be. Utterly paralyzed by his terror, he found himself wishing for someone to save him, but another part of him realized that as long as he was Harry Potter, no one would see him as the child that he was. Something snapped within him, and just as Megatron's claws were about to close around him in a crushing grip, bright light blinded him as the oddest sensation engulfed his body. If he tried to describe it, the best he could come up with was that his body tingled as every cell of his being seemed to shift and rearrange itself. When it finally stopped, he found himself sitting in a sea of pillows feeling oddly disconnected from himself and overly sensitive to both light and noise.

Wincing, he brought a hand up to shade his eyes only to stop and stare in shock at what he saw. Slender metal fingers that looked deceptively delicate bent and turned at his every move. Gulping, he felt hysteria beginning to set in as he realized that his hand wasn't the only thing that had changed. Various wires and hoses could be glimpsed from between the thin paneling that covered his arm. His legs were similar as well, with the exception of the paneling being longer and his feet not looking like feet. His frame was a dull silver while the majority of his paneling was a dark black that seemed to absorb the light instead of reflect it like the bits of silver that could be seen.

A high-pitched whirring sound of distress escaped him, increasing in volume as he realized that it was coming from him. Struggling to stand, he fell with a startled chirp. Wanting to cry, he didn't notice as he let out chirps and beeps of distress as he stared down at his hands, which were in his lap. He was so consumed in his confusion and distress, he didn't register the startled gasp or the presence of two looming figures staring down at him in complete shock. What dragged him out of his whirling thoughts were two distinctly familiar presences.

Looking up from his hands, he met the shocked blue optics of Ironhide and Jazz. Totally out of his depth, Orion gave a soft whirring sound that could only be described as a whimper as he hugged himself. Ironhide was the first to recover from his shock as he knelt down, making it so that he was now eye level with him.

"Orion?" His name was asked softly, gently. He gave another whirring whimper as he managed a short nod.

"Primus." Whimpering even more, Orion curled into himself as he gave distressed chirps and clicks.

"Shh, Orion. It's alright. Jazz, go and get Ratchet and Optimus before I use you for target practice." With a gentleness that most thought him incapable of, Ironhide carefully stroked Orion's head with a single finger, which was easily nearly as large as the tiny Sparkling he was trying to comfort.

And a Sparkling he was. The tiny bot was clearly in his first frame and at his most vulnerable. The only thing protecting his inner wiring from exposure were thin panels that looked as if they could be completely crushed with a light tap from him. Bright green optics stared at him with such distress his Spark ached. If he had any doubts that this tiny Sparkling sitting in a sea of cushions was anyone other than Orion, they were banished by the wide, glittering green optics that stared at him. The color was the same stunning shade as the petite teen that had saved Jazz from dying.

"It's alright Orion, I won't let anything happen to you. I'm going to pick you up, is that okay?" A soft chirp and slight nod of the head was his answer.

With finesse he usually reserved for customizing his most deadly cannons, he used feather light touches to set the petite Sparkling into his palm, loosely wrapping his fingers around him as he lifted the little bot to rest against his chest. Easing himself into a sitting position, he leaned back and snagged a cushion. Gently nudging the curled form with a finger, he silently offered the little one the cushion. It was immediately snatched from his fingers and curled around.

"It's alright little one. Will you let Ratchet examine you? Just to make sure that you aren't hurt?" Gently rubbing a finger along the small back, Ironhide patiently waited for an answer. He would wonder how Orion had been changed into a Sparkling after he made sure the boy wasn't injured and calmed him down before he had a chance to hurt himself.

Nodding, Orion slowly began to calm, Ironhide's gentle strokes steadily soothing his frayed nerves. Cuddled around his cushion, he rested against Ironhide's armored chest and allowed himself to be comforted. Now that he was no longer freaking out, he was able to think clearly. He was no longer human, which left the question of why? He vaguely remembered being utterly terrified and helpless, and then he had felt that tingling sensation. Blinking, he gave a quiet groan.

He had started to do some research on how to become an Animigus, but hadn't learned much on the process. The majority of it warned against attempting to learn without a teacher, as well as not to place themselves in a situation where they would feel terrified or helpless. The first warning was because of the danger of becoming stuck half way through the transformation. The second was because the person could suddenly find themselves in their Animigus form in an attempt to escape the danger that they found themselves in. It also meant that they were stuck until they either figured out how to shift back for themselves, or found a transfiguration master to change them back. In other words, he was stuck.

Now at least having an idea as to what happened, Orion gave a soft sigh before cuddling closer to Ironhide. He could feel the warmth of his Spark and found it calming and reassuring. Feeling safe and protected, something he had never really felt before, Orion drifted into a light doze, content to let someone else worry for once.

Glancing down at the dozing mech on his chest, Ironhide relaxed ever so slightly. It may have been several centuries since he had seen a Sparkling, but he knew that it was extremely difficult to calm one down once they became hysterical. He considered himself to be rather lucky that he and Jazz had gone to check on Orion what had to be moments after the teen had woken up. Orion could have hurt himself badly if he had panicked.

Frowning, Ironhide quietly armed his right hand with his cannon. Jazz should have been back with at least Ratchet by now, but he had yet to see or hear anyone approaching the building he was in. Something wasn't right. Carefully standing, he made sure that Orion was still sleeping contently against his chest, his large hand easily shielding the vulnerable Sparkling from view and possible harm. Cannon charged, he cautiously made his way towards the doors.

It had been a week since the Cube's destruction, but it was entirely possible that a group of Decepticons had arrived to provide back up for a leader they didn't know was dead. Optics narrowing, Ironhide silently moved towards the large warehouse that Optimus was currently using as an office, which was also being shared by Ratchet as a temporary infirmary until a proper medbay could be built. If he didn't find anyone there, he was going to head to the city as fast as his wheels could carry him and wait until nightfall before returning to the base. His number one priority at that moment was keeping Orion safe.

Entering the large warehouse, he kept his cannon at the ready and fully charged. Keeping his precious bundle shielded in his hand, he scanned the warehouse. The stack of large crates Optimus was using as a desk was missing the hunched figure of the Autobot leader, and the section of the warehouse being used by Ratchet was also missing the familiar sight of the medic tinkering about as he made the parts needed to fully repair Jazz.

Moving further into the infirmary, Ironhide wondered if Ratchet could possibly be taking a nap. The medic had been rather overworked trying to get together everything he needed so he could repair Jazz as quickly as he could. He was also trying to get a functional infirmary just in case injured Autobots showed up after receiving the message that Optimus had sent out the day after the Cube's destruction. Ironhide doubted that anyone would show up so soon, but didn't comment. Instead, he helped Ratchet with what he could when he wasn't watching Orion. Optimus was right, the petite teenager had risked his life enough for them.

Finding no one, Ironhide turned to leave, only to freeze as he picked up the faint sound of voices. Bringing his cannon up, he just barely stopped himself from blowing off Jazz's head. "Whoa, don't shoot. Don't shoot."

Growling softly, Ironhide put his cannon away. "Where's Ratchet?"

"Right here. What's wrong Ironhide?" Spotting the medic, Ironhide used his free hand to drag him towards the infirmary half of the warehouse, ignoring the protests of the rough treatment.

"I need you to run a complete diagnostic on Orion."

"What? Why?" Instead of answering, Ironhide carefully shifted his hand so Ratchet could glimpse the sleeping Sparkling curled against his chest.

"Whoa, when did Ironhide get a Sparkling?" Snarling, Orion was hidden from view again as Ironhide aimed his cannon at the new voice.

"Hey, hey, don't shoot."

"Ironhide!" Turning towards Optimus, Ironhide lowered his cannon but didn't put it away.

"Who else is here?" Glaring at Sideburn, he shifted slightly so Orion was completely hidden from view. The last thing he wanted was for the little Sparkling to panic if he saw unfamiliar faceplates.

"Just Sideburn and X-Brawn. Prowl sent them to help us search for the All Spark and to provide back up. This was before my message was sent out. Ironhide, what is going on?"

A soft chirp, muffled by Ironhide's hand, drew all optics to his chest. Cannon disappearing, Ironhide slowly brought his hand away from his chest, revealing the tiny Sparkling sitting in his palm clutching a cushion. Catching sight of the others, Orion gave a few distressed trills.

"It's alright Orion, they're friends. Will you let Ratchet look at you now?" Rubbing small circles into the tiny back, Ironhide patiently waited for Orion to calm down and respond. Receiving a timid nod, Ironhide moved to hand him to Ratchet, but was stopped by the little Sparkling clutching onto his finger as a series of panicked chirps, clicks, and whirrs escaped him.

"Hey now, it's alright. Ratchet, can you scan him while I hold him?" Cradling the Sparkling against his chest, he waited for Orion to calm down again.

"Ironhide, hold him up a bit." Lifting his hand, Ironhide was careful not to move the finger that Orion was still clinging to. The soft whimpering whirrs only quieted when Ratchet cooed softly to him, explaining what he was doing as he ran various scans on the little mech. When he finished, Ratchet gave Orion a soft rub on the head.

"You're alright little one. Your energy levels are a little low, but you'll be fine with a bit of rest and Energon." Relieved, Ironhide once more cradled Orion to his chest as he absentmindedly stroked the mini black mech with green optics.

"See, that wasn't so bad. Go back to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up." Watching green optics drift shut, Ironhide didn't stop petting the small bot until he was sure that Orion had slipped into a deep recharge. Keeping his voice low, he turned his attention to Optimus.

"Jazz and I found him like this when we went to check on Orion. I think he just woke up before we saw him because he was starting to panic. I sent Jazz to get Ratchet while I calmed him down. Went looking for you when Jazz didn't come back. I was about to head into the city until nightfall when you showed up."

Staring at the sleeping Sparkling, Optimus frowned. "Are you sure that he is Orion?"

"Yes. Found him in the nest of cushions and he responded to his name. His optics are also the same shade of green as Orion's eyes. If he isn't Orion, then where did he go?"

"But how did he change? My scans indicate that he's just like any other Sparkling from Cybertron, if significantly small for such a strong Spark."

Shrugging at Ratchet, he countered with a question of his own. "How did he keep Jazz's Spark from fading? How is he able to sense our Sparks? Hell, this might be a result of him killing Megatron."

"Wait, that little Sparkling killed Megatron?" Glaring at Sideburn for speaking so loudly, Ironhide checked to see if Orion had woken up. He hadn't.

"Mute it Sideburn. Ratchet, do we have any Energon suitable for a Sparkling? The stuff I have is either high-grade or too strong for a Sparkling still in their first frame." Ironhide would worry about convincing Orion to drink the Energon after he knew if they even had Energon suitable for a Sparkling.

"I think I have a few cubes somewhere. He'll be fine for at least another two days, so we should be able to scrounge something up before then. I would be more concerned if Jazz was still leeching energy from him. He would be in stasis lock within hours if that was still happening." Shuddering, Ironhide held Orion even closer to him.

"Wait, I woulda killed him?" Optics wide, Jazz stared at Orion in concern.

"If you were still drawing energy from him when he turned into a Sparkling. As a human teenager, he needs significantly less energy to function than a Sparkling does. Primus Jazz, he should have died when he saved you. You were so far gone that I wasn't able to even pick up on your Spark. If Orion hadn't somehow managed to link to your Spark and sustain it with his own life energy, I wouldn't have had a chance to stabilize you and bring you out of stasis lock."

Optics going even wider, Jazz stared at Orion with a new level of respect. "Why didn't ya tell me earlier?"

"Megatron had torn you in half for Primus' sake. Did you need me to tell you that you should be a pile of scrap? I've forbidden you from even attempting to shift into your alt mode for a reason. A majority of the parts holding you together are too weak to survive the transition. You'll off-line faster than I can even pick up a wrench if you were to try and transform. Orion would kill himself if he tried to support your Spark again." Agitated, Ratchet began to pace in a small circle.

"Umm, what are you talking about?" Staring at Sideburn, Ironhide snorted. He had forgotten that two new Autobots had arrived and had no clue as to what was going on.

"We'll explain once I get Orion settled. You and Brawn go with Jazz and grab the rest of the cushions." Still stunned about how close to death he had really come, Jazz silently led the other two out of the warehouse. Once they were out of sight, Ironhide turned his attention to Optimus and Ratchet.

"I don't think Orion can talk. He understands what we say, but his responses are limited to yes or no. We'll be limited in what we can question him about."

"That is a problem, but not our biggest concern. Keller will be delivering the parts he had made early, as well as the ones we asked for. He'll be coming tomorrow to drop everything off with Lennox and Epps. They'll want to see Orion for themselves. He's been asleep for a little more than a week, not including when he briefly woke up before we moved here."

"We'll have to tell Sam and Bumblebee as well. They are coming with Mikaela tomorrow afternoon to check on Orion and help out with some of the smaller parts that I am making. I will be able to have Jazz fully repaired and operational sooner if the parts really are coming tomorrow." Moving over to his work area, Ratchet continued to tinker with the latest part he was making. The sooner that Jazz was fully repaired, the sooner he could relax.

"That is good news Ratchet. We will deal with the others tomorrow. Hopefully, we will know more before they arrive." The matter settled, Optimus turned to examine Orion just as the others returned with cushions in their arms.

"Jazz, hold Orion while I shift into my alt mode. Sideburn, X-Brawn, pile those into my bed once I've shifted." Turning to Jazz, Ironhide delicately placed Orion into the smaller mech's palm. Once he was sure that he hadn't woken the little Sparkling, he swiftly transformed into his truck mode in a series of clicks and whirrs.

Jazz stood completely frozen as he stared down at the tiny sleeping Sparkling curled in his hand. How Ironhide had the nerve to hold something so fragile was beyond him. He was terrified that he might hurt Orion, even more so now that he realized just how much the green-eyed teenager had risked in order to save him.

"Jazz, quit gawking at him and put him in my bed before he wakes up." Moving slowly, he gently brought his hand down, and treating the black Sparkling like the most fragile of spun glass, he carefully rolled the curled form into the nest of cushions that had been made for him. Only when Orion was sleeping soundly in Ironhide's bed did Jazz relax.

"Why'd ya have ta hand him ta me? I coulda hurt him!" Utterly terrified at the thought, Jazz didn't notice the disbelieving looks he was being given by Sideburn and X-Brawn. He was willing to handle dangerous explosives that could go off at just the slightest jostle, and yet he handled the Sparkling like he was a raw Energon bomb about to go off.

"I didn't want to wake him. Ratchet makes him nervous, even before he turned into a Sparkling. He also recognizes Sparks. He might have woken up if I handed him to Ratchet, same with Optimus. However, he kept you alive, even unconscious he kept feeding energy into keeping you alive. Sideburn and X-Brawn are strangers to him, so they are't an option. It's safer for him to sleep in the pile of cushions than in my hand against my chest. Calm down before you blow a gasket or tear something loose." The last snapped comment effectively made Jazz fall silent as he shifted guiltily.

"Can someone explain what's going on now? Y'all lost me when ya said that Megatron was killed by the Sparkling." In a better mood now that Orion was sleeping peacefully, Ironhide decided to answer the question.

"The short version. We found the All Spark, as well as Megatron. We fought over the Cube, killed some Decepticons. 'Bee lost his legs, and Jazz was torn in half by Megatron. Megatron almost gets the humans that were trying to escape with the Cube when Optimus interferes. Optimus fights Megatron, telling Sam that if he loses he should combine the Cube with his Spark to destroy it. Sam tosses Orion the Cube and the crazy punk shoves it into Megatron's chest. After Megatron's dead, Orion keeps Jazz from off-lining long enough for Ratchet to patch him up. Don't know how he did. The kid's been asleep pretty much since then. When I go to check on him earlier, he's a Sparkling. That's the short version."

"Wait, Megatron's dead and the Cube is destroyed? And you're telling us that this puny human turned Sparkling was the one to permanently off-line the Decepticon leader?" Sideburn stared at Ironhide, clearly thinking that the weapon's specialist must have had one too many drums of high-grade.

"Perhaps we should explain from the beginning. Our search for the Cube led us to Earth. A battle with the Decepticons resulted in Bumblebee getting separated from us. He arrived on Earth first and discovered a pair of glasses that had the location of the All Spark on them. They were in the possession of young Samuel James Witwicky, grandson of Archibald Witwicky. Bumblebee found the boy and sent out a message to us. We arrived the next night and..."

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A/N: I hope that you've enjoyed. Sparkling Harry is so adorable, but extremely difficult for me to write. I hope that I haven't done too badly. Protective Ironhide was fun to write. If you don't know who Sideburn and X-Brawn are, they are from the cartoon Transformers: Robots in Disguise. I don't remember what year it's from, but Sideburn loved chasing little red sports cars. Reviews are nice. Thanks for reading, and cookies to those that take the time to review.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Spoilers: See first chapter.

Warnings: Language. Out of character. AU.

A/N: Since I haven't seen the second Transformers movie, this will not be following the events that happened in it. This is quite a bit longer than the previous chapter, so I hope that you enjoyed. I'm going to do a bit more research before I decide on what kind of Sparkling Harry is, and whether or not I will have him change back. I've left it vague enough that I have room to work in the next chapter when the explanation, and maybe flashbacks, happen.

Note typed by Orion.

Word Count: 5,881  
Posted: 18 July 2009  
Status: Up for adoption/sporadic updates.**

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**Chapter Three:**

Waking up, he once again found himself in a sea of cushions. He was moments away from panicking when he realized that he was in Ironhide's bed, the weapons specialist keeping his promise of being there when he woke up. Of course, the large mech hadn't promised to be awake, since even he needed to rest at some point. Lying there, Orion carefully considered his situation and how he could have ended up in it. He knew that his Animigus form had been mechanical, and after meeting the Autobots, he had come to the conclusion that his form was Cybertronian in origin. What he didn't know was how he had shifted.

He hadn't even done more than the meditation required to discover what his form was, so he shouldn't have been able to make the change. It was possible for him to have shifted in a desperate attempt to protect himself, but he couldn't understand why he had shifted after he was out of danger. His vague memory of being terrified and helpless was why he had shifted, but he couldn't remember what had caused him to feel that way in the first place. He remembered passing out after trying to save Jazz, and then waking up briefly, just long enough to stop filtering his magic and energy into Jazz to keep the sleek silver mech alive. He had fallen asleep shortly after, having escaped Ratchet by crawling into Ironhide's cab. When he next woke, there had been a flash of red eyes.

Suddenly, Orion once again found himself helpless before Megatron, his fear keeping him paralyzed in place. Just as Megatron was about to crush him, the Decepticon leader vanished in a blinding light and he found himself sitting in Ironhide's bed, the truck calling his name frantically. Blinking, Orion looked down at his hands as understanding flooded through him. He had been trapped in a waking nightmare, and without anyone there to wake him, he had subconsciously shifted into his Animigus form in an effort to escape, for someone to come and save him, because the only people that had been willing to save Harry Potter were dead and gone.

Sadness and grief clinging to him, Orion crawled over the cushions and slipped into Ironhide's cab, dragging in a cushion with him to hug. Ironhide's rumbling voice surrounded him, comforting him. Sitting, he clutched his cushion tightly as he twittered softly in response to Ironhide's soothing voice. He would be perfectly content to spend the next few weeks in the safety of Ironhide's cab. Feeling calmer than he had in a long time, he chirped a questioning note at Ironhide when the truck's engine suddenly roared to life.

Ironhide was jerked out of a rather deep recharge by one of his sensors going off. He had placed a few sensors up before he had allowed himself to rest, one of which monitored the vitals of the Sparkling in his bed. When he noticed the frantic pulsing of Orion's Spark, he immediately began to speak, trying to draw the tiny black mech out of whatever nightmare he was caught in. He was seriously considering shifting when Orion had stilled, his vital signs returning to normal. Rumbling soothingly at him, Ironhide continued to coo comfortingly to the little Sparkling as he crawled into his cab, clutching a cushion to him tightly. Hearing the soft twitters in response, Ironhide felt some of his worry leave. If Orion was responding to his voice, then he at least didn't need to worry that the little mech was upset with him.

Starting his engine, he gave a low chuckle as Orion let out a curious chirp. "It's alright little one. Optimus wants to speak with you now that you're awake. Keller, Lennox, and Epps are coming today to deliver supplies and Optimus wants to know what you want to tell them, if anything. If you don't want them seeing you, we'll try to come up with an excuse of some kind. Will you talk to Optimus?"

Optics widening, Orion let out a stream of twitters, clicks, and whirrs that couldn't be mistaken for anything else other than cursing. He hadn't even thought about how he would explain his suddenly becoming a Sparkling. He didn't think he should reveal that he came from another world, at least not to the humans. Optimus and the other Autobots might be a little more likely to believe him, but he wasn't sure he was willing to tell them his life story. What he needed to do was come up with a logical explanation as to how he was turned into a Sparkling. It would be difficult, but all he needed was a working theory that the others would believe and wouldn't sound like a lie if he decided to reveal that he came from another world and was a wizard. So, he would have to stick to the truth as closely as he possibly could.

He was so agitated, he didn't realize that he was twittering, chirping, clicking, whirring, and hissing softly as he tugged on his cushion. He was still muttering to himself as Optimus carefully pulled him out of Ironhide's cab so the black mech could transform. He stopped to blink owlishly as a gentle finger rubbed his head in an effort to calm him. Staring up at Optimus, he began to speak rapidly, telling the Autobot leader the theory he had come up with, only to stop as he realized that they couldn't understand his twittering chirps, clicks, whirrs, and hisses. Frustrated, he hissed out curses as he sulked, trying to think of a way to convey what he wanted to say.

"Hush now Orion. Just because I may not understand the curses does not mean you can curse." Looking chastised, Orion fell silent as Optimus continued to pet him, much like Ironhide had done the previous day. It was actually quite nice and Orion closed his eyes as he twittered and chirped happily. He gave a soft whirring whine and glare when Optimus stopped petting him, his blue optics looking decidedly amused. Crossing his arms, Orion gave an annoyed chirp as he turned his head away.

"Orion, I'm going to ask you a few questions. Just answer yes or no. Nod if you understand."

Still sulking, Orion gave an irritated chirp as he nodded.

"That's good. Orion, do you know how you changed?"

Glaring up at Optimus, Orion shook his head no before nodding yes, hoping the red and blue mech would get what he was trying to say.

"No, you don't know how you changed, but you do know?" Huffing, Orion uncrossed his arms and wondered how he could mime his answer so that Optimus would understand.

"Hold on Optimus. Orion, do you have a theory on how you changed?" Nodding frantically, Orion twittered and chirped at Ironhide as he gestured to himself.

"Slow down Orion, we'll find a way for you to tell us, but let us ask the questions we can first." Forcing himself to stop, Orion turned back to Optimus, his head cocked to the side as he waited.

"Are you willing to allow Keller, Lennox, and Epps see you when they arrive in the next few hours?" Carefully considering the question, Orion cautiously nodded. Unless he managed to find a way to change back in the next few days, it would be impossible to hide his sudden change into a Sparkling. It would be easier if he didn't try to hide. He could only hope that they wouldn't freak out too badly. He did feel bad though, since his sudden change would undoubtedly cause a lot of problems.

"How about Sam and Mikaela?" Orion shrugged. If they freaked out, he could always run to Ironhide for protection.

"Will you object to Ratchet giving you a full examination? The initial one he did yesterday indicates that you are relatively healthy and uninjured, but it would make me feel better if Ratchet were to check that you are entirely operational and fine." Once again, Orion shrugged, but he did clutch onto one of Optimus' fingers. He wasn't exactly afraid of the medical officer, but having spent so much time in the Hospital Wing, it had become ingrained to try and avoid being examined for injuries whenever possible, even if he was hurt and needed medical aid.

"Don't worry little one, either Ironhide or myself will be with you. Are you afraid of Ratchet?" Shaking his head frantically, Orion twittered quickly, waving one arm around trying to emphasize his point.

"Hey, calm down." It took nearly a full minute of Optimus stroking his head and back before Orion finally settled down. He really wasn't afraid of Ratchet, more of what the mech's occupation represented to him. Sure, those in the medical field were good, but Harry found that needing to be examined hardly ever occurred just because he was sick. Something bad had usually occurred to land him in Madam Pompfrey's tender care. Quirrel going after the Stone, Lockhart vanishing the bones in his arm, the Chamber of Secrets, the fiasco with the Dementors and Sirius, the TriWizard Tournament, Voldemort's resurrection, and then the entire mess in the Department of Mystery. No, he didn't like being examined.

"Will you let Ratchet examine you now while we try to think of a way for you to communicate with us? We'll both be right here with you." Orion tried not to immediately shake his head no, and only partially succeeded. He ended up twittering nervously as he cuddled against the finger he was still latched onto. Reluctantly nodding, Orion tried to find something to distract himself as Optimus nodded for Ironhide to leave and get Ratchet.

Talking was clearly out of the question, and he doubted that he could properly grip a pen well enough to write something even semi-legible. Optics widening, Orion let go of Optimus' finger so he could turn and gesture to the Autobot leader, chirps, clicks, and whirrs escaping him as he spoke his idea allowed, half hoping that he could be understood. Seeing confused blue optics, Orion let out a string of hissing curses before gesturing to be put down on the surface of what was currently Optimus' desk. By the time he was finally cautiously lowered down, Orion was clicking impatiently. It took him less than a moment to scramble out of Optimus' hand and soon he was scurrying over to what looked like a calculator. It was probably something more complex, but he was at least able to recognize some numbers on it, which was all that he needed.

Quickly pressing two of the buttons, he was just starting to turn the device when Ironhide returned with Ratchet. Jazz and the two newcomers were trailing behind them. Orion didn't really pay attention to them, instead he finished turning the calculator thing and pointed down at the screen as he looked up at Optimus. When the large mech tried to right the device, Orion screeched and chattered angrily at him. Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited for Optimus to see what he was trying to explain. Still seeing the blank look that Optimus wore, Orion gave a frustrated chirp. Really, just how hard could it be to decipher the short message. It was only two numbers, which when view turned upside down, spelled the word 'hi'. He could have spelt hello, but he wanted to get his point across as fast as possible.

"Oh, are you playing charades? I wanna play too." Jumping slightly, Orion turned to look up at the blue and yellow mech, trying his best not to let his wariness show. Uncrossing his arms, he once again pointed at the screen, hoping that one of the mechs present would comprehend what he was trying to convey.

"Oooh, its fourteen letters long. Okay, what's fourteen letters long?" Staring incredously at the new Autobot, Orion gave a frustrated wail before banging his head against a crate that was being used to store something. He was going to bang his head again when the other newcomer spoke.

"Well, I reckon he's tryin' to tell us something. Let's see. He's showing it to us upside down so he's probably not tryin' to show us a number. Oh, I see now. Well hello to ya too little buddy." Jumping, Orion began to twitter excitedly as he pointed again to the calculator thing before miming typing or playing a piano with his fingers. He repeated this another two times before waiting for them to make the connection.

"I know ya wanted to say hi little buddy, but I don't get what ya're tryin' to say now." Deflating, Orion sat down and tried to resist the urge to cry. He was so frustrated, trying to find a way to communicate and deal with his sudden change were wreaking havoc on his already frayed mind.

"Hey, we'll figure out a way for you to talk to us. It'll be okay." Looking up at Sideburn with dull optics, Orion just gave him a blank stare. He had already knew how he could communicate with them, he just couldn't get the idea across to them.

"That's it little brother. We can't understand what's he says, but what about what he types? He just said hi to us using numbers. He can type what he wants to say." Scrambling to his feet, Orion nodded frantically as he pointed up at X-Brawn. That was exactly what he was trying to get them to understand. He couldn't use speech, but they could read anything he wrote, especially if he typed it.

"Is that what you were trying to tell me Orion?" Nodding, Orion wrapped his arms around one of Optimus' fingers and cuddled into it. Now that they knew what he was trying to say, maybe they could finally have a proper conversation.

Gently lifting the little Sparkling into his hand, Optimus turned towards Jazz and Ironhide. "Is there something that Orion can use to communicate with us here? It is clear that he doesn't understand the Cybertronian language, otherwise he would have used the data pad."

"I think I saw a couple of old computers around here. We get one working and he can use that."

"Very well. See what you can do Jazz. We have only a few hours before the humans show up, and I think it would be best if we didn't put the pressure of explaining on Orion's shoulders. Ratchet, will you be able to examine him here, or would you prefer for us to go to your infirmary?"

"Actually Optimus, I've finished with all but two tests. I just need a sample of his Energon to compare with what we have and a quick scan of his firewall. He does not need a virus. Orion, do I have your permission to do these tests?" Staring up at Ratchet, Orion cautiously unwrapped his arms from Optimus' finger and reached them up to Ratchet. He hadn't even noticed the tests, which seemed to be what Ratchet had wanted to accomplish in the first place as he looked down at him with concern.

Carefully taking the tiny Sparkling into one of his hands, he used the free one to pick up a small cube looking thing. Watching Ratchet explain what he was doing, Optimus felt a small surge of relief as Orion seemed to relax. He still didn't know what made the little Sparkling so wary about being examined, but it was a relief to see that Orion truly didn't fear Ratchet himself. Optimus was sure that his medical officer would have been distressed if the Sparkling really did fear him. His attention was drawn away from the two by Jazz returning with what seemed to be a crate of various computer equipment. This was starting to look like it would be a long afternoon.

Having his Energon withdrawn was a bit similar to having blood drawn. Except instead of inserting a needle into his vein, Ratchet simply moved a panel in his leg and did something with one of the fuel lines that was revealed. The end result was something blue, bright, and glowy flowing into the small cube. It seemed as if he had barely blinked when he found his panel replaced and the cube being moved to somewhere just out of his sight. It was over so quickly that Orion was pretty sure that Ratchet could have gotten the sample without him noticing if he had held still long enough and was looking in the opposite direction.

"Orion, I need to connect with you briefly. You should be able to feel my presence in your system, but all I will be doing is checking your firewall and see what your system checks say about your health. I won't try to do anything else." Reminded uncomfortably of his lessons with Snape, when his mind had been invaded, Orion clung tightly to one of Ratchet's fingers as he gave a shaky nod. Ratchet was just doing what needed to be done, and the medical officer had done an amazing job in making him feel as comfortable as he could by informing him of what he was doing. He would trust Ratchet to do nothing more than what he said.

With a slight jolt, Orion felt something shock him before he felt Ratchet's presence within him. Will power alone kept him from trying to shove the medical officer out of him as soon as he felt Ratchet. With his immediate reaction stopped, Orion was able to feel that Ratchet was radiating a sense of soothing calm, just enough to keep his natural defenses from fighting him, but not enough that Orion couldn't fight him if he wanted. That was what allowed him to almost fully relax as Ratchet gathered the information he needed. When Ratchet withdrew, Orion felt decidedly fuzzy, as if he was caught between falling asleep and waking up. He was barely even aware that he was being transferred into Ironhide's hands, the only thing letting him know of the change was that he could feel the weapons specialist's Spark. Slightly elated that he could trust Ratchet, Orion curled into a ball and fell into a light recharge. Taking a nap was a good idea.

"Ratchet, will we need to worry?" Looking up from where he was examining the sample of Energon he had taken, Ratchet shook his head.

"No Optimus, at least not at this moment. Like I said earlier, his energy levels are low, but seeing as how he is recharging now, that won't last for much longer. His firewalls are strong, much stronger than I expected. They are strongest around his main processors, having at least four layers from what I can tell. And they are constantly shifting, making it even more difficult to break past. His systems checks confirmed my own. His energy levels are low, but steadily returning to a normal level. They also indicate that he will need Energon soon, but not as soon as I expected. Instead of the one or two days I expected, his system check indicated at least three or four more days could pass before he needed Energon. I should know by tomorrow just what Energon grade he is capable of ingesting. Hopefully, we'll have what he needs."

"That is good to hear. Jazz, how is it coming with the computer?"

"Slaggin' pieces of scrap are almost useless. Give me another half hour and I should have one assembled and working so Orion can use a text document to type. We'll at least be able to know what he's trying to say."

"Watch your language Jazz. Orion may be sleeping, but curse in front of him again and I'll use ya for target practice. A little more fine tuning and I'll be ready to test out my newest cannon."

"You know guys, I still don't get it. This little Sparkling was a human teenager until yesterday, the same teenager that killed Megatron with the All Spark. How in Primus did he manage that to begin with?"

"They told us Sideburn, he chose to put the Cube in Megatron's chest instead of Prime's when the two were down. In my opinion, he made the right choice. Y'all have ta ask the little guy on how he's a Sparkling, since it seems ta me he has an idea."

"Sure Brawn, but we're talking about Megatron. You seriously expect me to believe that Megatron, the Decepticon leader, was offlined by a human teenager, nothing more than a youngling?"

A harsh growl drew everyone's attention to Ironhide, who had Orion cradled protectively against his chest. "Sideburn, mute it before I destroy your vocal processors. Primus, Orion has enough to deal with already. Do you have any idea how terrified he must be?"

"Ironhide, calm yourself. Sideburn, hard as it is to believe, Orion was the one that defeated Megatron. From what Bumblebee has told me of the boy, and my own observations, he was remarkably calm for having been thrust into our war. He also hid his terror well. While driving to Mission City in an attempt to hide the Cube, Bumblebee told me that while he detected a high amount of fear in both Sam and Mikaela, it was nothing compared to Orion. Orion wasn't just afraid, he was terrified."

"Optimus, he chose to go with Sam instead of Mikaela. He took the Cube from Sam, saying he had more experience running for his life. Why would he do that if he was so terrified of Megatron? He wasn't even there when we explained our war. Why did he risk his life to protect the Cube, to destroy Megatron, to save Jazz, to _help_ us?"

"I do not know, and I will not ask him why. None of you are to ask him either. Orion had a reason for going with Sam, a reason for not letting the older teenager take the Cube. If we are patient, we may have answers to our questions." Solemn silence fell over the group, but it didn't last long as Jazz let out a loud whoop.

"Yes, this slaggin' heap of scrap is working. Orion should be able to type now." Noticing Ironhide's harsh glare, Jazz carefully began to edge closer to Optimus. He really didn't want to be used as target practice, not when he was so close to being fully repaired.

"Your aft is mine Jazz. You woke the little one up." Optics widening, Jazz looked at Ironhide's hand and saw green optics flickering from dim to bright. The Sparkling was still deciding whether or not if he should stay asleep or wake up. It was rather adorable.

Blinking rapidly, Orion forced himself to wake up. Noticing Ironhide's rather annoyed Spark, Orion found himself twittering with amusement when he saw the glare Jazz was receiving. It seemed the silver mech was responsible for waking him. Still snickering, Orion gave a chirp of joy when he saw the computer that had been set up. Now he could explain his theory of how he changed. It was actually as close to what happened as he could get, without mentioning a few key facts, mainly how he came from a different world and was a wizard. His happiness faded away as he thought about how he had ended up in the state he was. He needed to apologize, even if it wasn't anywhere near enough.

Tugging on Ironhide's thumb, he waited to be put down so he could begin typing. He wasn't the fastest typer in the world, but he could at least type using more than two fingers. As soon as he was placed down, he scrambled over to the computer and began to type on the open word document. Orion hissed out curses every time one of the mechs tried to read over his shoulder, they could wait until he was finished.

I have a theory as to how I became a Sparkling. When I woke up here the first time, I had a flashback of when I faced Megatron. I was terrified of him, so scared I was paralyzed with fear and couldn't move. He kept demanding the Cube and I couldn't move. His Spark was tainted, corrupted by insanity. He was even more insane than the man that murdered my parents and tried repeatedly to kill me. I was so scared. I wanted someone to save me, but no one ever does, I always have to save myself. People believed that just because I survived from being killed by Voldemort before, I can take care of myself and don't ever need to be saved. They never allowed me to be a terrified child.

I still had some of the All Spark's raw energy in me. It must have responded to my silent wish of being saved. Megatron was just about to crush me when everything went white, blinding me. My entire body felt strange, I can't really describe it. When I could finally see again, Megatron was gone and I was hyper sensitive. When I lifted a hand to shade my eyes, I noticed the change. Ironhide and Jazz appeared shortly after. I didn't come up with this theory until I woke up earlier. I was trying to remember what I could before I changed when I had another waking nightmare. Ironhide woke me from it. The All Spark is most likely the reason why I changed. I don't know how, but we can tell Keller and the others that I probably changed because I was holding the All Spark when it was destroyed. It may even have something to do with Megatron, since his intent was to create more mechs by using the All Spark.

I'm sorry Optimus. It's my fault that your brother is dead, that you and the other surviving Autobots and Decepticons are the last of your race. It's my fault that you can't return home, that you'll never be able to rebuild Cybertron. I'm sorry. I should have found another way.

Unable to find anymore words to express just how sorry he was, Orion quit typing. Backing away from the computer, Orion curled himself around his forgotten cushion. He wouldn't blame the mechs if they didn't want to have anything to do with him. Now that they didn't have to worry about Jazz dying, or a place to set up a base, the Autobots would soon realize what he had cost them. They would probably only tolerate him because he was a Sparkling, and it wasn't in them to refuse to help when they could. Holding his cushion tighter, Orion tried not to let the pain eat away at him. He knew he shouldn't have allowed himself to get attached, but he had. Orion really didn't know if he would be able to survive if Ironhide ignored him, or if Optimus refused to speak to him. Of the five Autobots he had met and gotten to know, no matter how briefly, those two had gotten the closest. Like his godfather and Remus, they made him feel safe and protected. They made him feel wanted. He really didn't know if he would survive the two hating him, for they would hate him now that they had time to realize what he had done.

Reading what was written, Optimus found himself feeling even guiltier. It was because of them that this child had nightmares, felt such terror. It was because of them that this child was exposed to even more tragedy in his life, that would remind him of old dark nightmares and memories. But what truly made Optimus' Spark ache was the very last part of what was written. Orion knew what was being asked when the Cube was destroyed, he knew what the consequences would be. He felt guilt at having destroyed it, of having killed Megatron, regardless of the fact that Optimus would have used his own Spark to see the Cube destroyed, or how Megatron was likely to die that day anyway. Looking at the curled Sparkling, he felt his Spark surge with an even sharper pain. Orion hadn't gone to him or Ironhide because of what he had written. He obviously believed that they would hate him.

Knowing that words would be useless, Optimus carefully picked the little Sparkling up, ignoring how the tiny mech flinched at his touch. Cradling him close to his Spark, Optimus gently petted the curled form. He didn't know Orion's past, but the small bit revealed to them in his note was enough to let Optimus know that Orion had very little experience, if any, of being cared for. The fact that he had shouldered the burden of both Megatron's death and the Cube's destruction was, when neither was his fault, spoke to just how quickly he had been forced to grow up. Holding Orion even closer, Optimus silently swore to protect the youngling that was desperately trying to hold in his distress. No, he could not and would never hate Orion, not when it was because of them that the teenager had been thrust into a war.

Seeing Optimus holding Orion, Ironhide tried his best to calm his raging anger. If anyone harmed or blamed Orion over the destruction of the All Spark, Ironhide would give them an up close and personal introduction to his cannons. The youngling was his to protect, whether or not he remained a Sparkling. Glancing at Jazz and Ratchet, he saw that they too shared his opinion, Jazz especially. It was because of Orion that he was still even online. Ironhide was also fairly sure that once Jazz's Sparkmate learned of the role Orion had played in saving the silver mech's life, he would be just as determined to protect him. If not, Ironhide would make him see reason, if Jazz didn't beat him to it.

Looking at Sideburn and X-Brawn, Ironhide was glad to see that Sideburn was looking at Orion with more respect. X-Brawn was looking at the Sparkling with sorrowful optics. Unlike his younger brother, he had been more worried on the effects of what had happened would have Orion than on how the teenager had managed to destroy Megatron. X-Brawn always had a soft spot for those younger than him, especially his two younger brothers and younglings. Ironhide had a feeling that once Orion stopped being so shy around him, X-Brawn would spoil the Sparkling.

Taking note of the time, Ironhide grabbed a few of the cushions that were scattered around on the floor from when he had shifted. Opening his carrying hold, he pulled out the few extra clips of ammo he had in there and replaced them with the cushions. Although it's original purpose was to carry around newly Sparked Sparklings, Ironhide had equipped himself with one during the war in order to carry extra ammo, or to transport any injured younglings he came across safely. Since his was customized to carry ammo instead of Sparklings, his carrying hold could actually transport younglings that were in their second frame, as long as they weren't too large. Given how tiny Orion was, even for a Sparkling in their first frame, he would fit inside comfortably with his own little nest of cushions.

"Hand him here Optimus. He needs a nap and you'll need my help moving supplies once Keller arrives." Ignoring the surprised looks he was being given over having a carrying hold, he gently took Orion and slipped him into the pocket of space next to his Spark chamber. After making sure the little Sparkling was comfortable, he carefully closed the carrying hold, his armored chest plates clicking back into place.

"Dude, when did you have a Sparkling?" Rolling his optics, Ironhide gestured to the spare ammo he had removed.

"It wasn't originally for a Sparkling. I had a customized carrying hold installed so I could carry extra ammo, as well as to safely transport any injured younglings if I ever came across any. I've used it to transport a few of the smaller mechs to safety, as well as to smuggle a few younglings from one base to another. The things slaggin' useful. I would have offered to use it to carry the All Spark to safety, but it's too close to my Spark chamber to do so without risking destroying it and killing me. Optimus has a carrying hold as well, but I think he uses it to store sensitive data pads. I know that Ratchet uses his to carry extra tools or other things he needs."

Ironhide resisted the urge to smirk when Jazz, Sideburn, and X-Brawn turned to stare at Ratchet and Optimus. Really, even though most mechs didn't have a carrying hold unless they had cared for a Sparkling, or intended to, that didn't mean they couldn't have one. When there were still Sparklings during the war, it had become common place for the stronger mechs to have one to transport them to safety. Those that did have carrying holds often tried to keep it a secret. Ironhide hadn't with his, but he didn't broadcast it either. What was unusual about his was just how large it was. For most mechs, it didn't take much to have a usable carrying hold. All that was needed was for the Spark chamber to be shifted a bit to make enough room. After all, carrying holds were only used for Sparklings in their first frame since once they received their second they weren't nearly as vulnerable any longer. He was actually surprised that Jazz didn't have one. He figured that the smaller mech would have used it to smuggle high grade Energon, or supplies he needed to pull a prank.

"Optimus, when will Keller be arriving?" Ironhide had barely finished speaking when several truck horns could be heard.

"It seems that they have arrived Ironhide. Jazz, make sure that nothing happens to Orion's note. Keller and the others will need to read it, and you still haven't been cleared to do much, unless Ratchet gives you permission to help."

"No Optimus. Jazz won't be cleared to do anything until I replace those parts in the next day or so. With Sideburn and X-Brawn here, I won't have any trouble with moving things. You and Ironhide can explain things to Keller and the others. It would be best if you let Orion rest as much as possible. The last couple weeks must have been hard on him."

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A/N: Well, here's another chapter. I really hope that you've enjoyed, and reviews are always appreciated.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Spoilers: See first chapter.

Warnings: Language, out of character, AU.

A/N: Given the amount of support given for me to continue this fic, I will be doing so. The first chapter is still up for adoption, and the story ideas in the 'second chapter' are still free for others to use as well. It would be interesting to see what others do with these ideas. In any case, I will be continuing this fic, but the progress will be sporadic. So, without further ado, here is the fourth installment of 'Who Said The All Spark Only Created Cybertron?'. That title is really long. ^^;

Note typed by Orion.

Word Count: 5,474  
Published: 6 September 2009  
Status: First chapter up for adoption, second chapter ideas up for grabs, sporadic updates, in progress.

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**Chapter Four:**

Staring up at Ironhide, Will knew that he was not going to enjoy the next several hours. Sure, it was hard to read the expression that the mech wore, but he could tell that the weapons specialist was looking uncomfortable. He almost thought that something bad had happened to Orion, but dismissed it just as quickly. The Autobots would have gotten Orion to a hospital in record time if something unexpected had happened to the teen. No, Orion was alright, but something obviously had happened to the teen. Glancing at Epps, he could tell the man had reached the same conclusion he had. This was going to be a really long afternoon.

Standing in Ironhide's palm, Will tried not to smirk in amusement as he saw the stunned expressions on the small group that had come with them to deliver everything. They were also acting as Keller's bodyguards. Epps didn't even try to hide his amusement as he snickered quietly next to him. If this was how they reacted with prior knowledge of them, Will would have hated to see how they would have reacted had they been in Mission City.

"Sideburn, X-Brawn. This is Defense Secretary John Keller. Ironhide has Captain Will Lennox and Sergeant Robert Epps. Sideburn and X-Brawn are our newest arrivals. They'll be helping Ratchet with unloading the supplies."

Looking over towards Optimus, Will noted that the mech was moving away with Keller in his hand. It took but a few minutes before the three humans were placed down in front of a computer that Jazz was staring at. Before he could get a close look at what was displayed on the screen, Optimus spoke, his voice serious. "Yesterday morning, Ironhide and Jazz found Orion awake. Only, Orion was no longer a human, but a Sparkling. Ratchet has already confirmed that Orion is perfectly healthy, but we have no idea as to why he is no longer human. Although Orion is fine, he is incapable of speaking at the moment, so communicating with him will be slightly difficult. Orion has a theory as to why he changed. If the three of you would read what is on the screen, we can discuss what is to be done."

Scanning what was displayed on the screen, Will now understood why Ironhide was looking so uncomfortable. The mech probably felt guilty. Hell, he felt guilty. Orion was just a kid, and yet he had been the one to spur the adults into action when Hoover Dam had been attacked. He had been the one to demand if it was possible for them to evacuate the Cube. He had stayed calm as he took the Cube from Bumblebee and asked if they could get away before Megatron woke up. Hell, Orion had been the one that not only destroyed the Cube, but Megatronas well. And then he had risked his life to somehow save Jazz. The kid was tough, but he was also just a kid.

"Is it true that you guys won't be able to return to Cybertron?"

"It is Will. The All Spark was the only thing that would have saved our planet. With it destroyed that is no longer possible. But, we had accepted this possibility. Even if it meant its destruction, we would never let the Cube fall into Decepticon claws. Optimus made the right choice in asking Sam and Orion to place the Cube in his chest to destroy it in case Megatron won. Your planet would have been destroyed if he had gotten his slaggin' claws on it. Orion saved Optimus' life, as well as Jazz's. We owe him a debt."

"Wait, hold on. You're telling us the kid's no longer human? He's like a mini version of you guys?"

"Orion is what we call a Sparkling, the term we use for the young of our race. He is in his first frame, essentially an infant or toddler in human standards. He is very young and will need to be protected. His body is not capable of taking the same amount of damage as we can. If you were to fire a single bullet at us, it wouldn't do more than maybe leave a dent or scratch. If Orion were to be hit, it could prove fatal. He is very fragile in comparison to us, and can be easily hurt."

"Where is he now?"

"Ironhide has him. Seriously 'Hide, are you sure you didn't have a Sparkling before?" Rolling his optics at Jazz, Ironhide kneeled down so that when he opened his carrying hold, the humans would be able to see inside.

"What do you mean Ironhide has him? I don't see him."

"That is because Orion is currently resting within Ironhide's carrying hold Epps. Normally, when a mech decides they will care for a Sparkling, they will have a carrying hold installed. It is where Sparklings rest whenever transported over long distances. It is also a safe place they can hide should they be in danger. Once a Sparkling acquires their second frame, they no longer need the safety of a carrying hold. Ironhide, if you would."

Feeling Orion stirring from his rest, Ironhide promptly opened his carrying hold, bringing his hand up just in time to catch several cushions and Orion as the small mech tumbled out. Shutting his hold, Ironhide looked down at Orion with amused optics. The little black mech was twittering softly, the chirps and clicks sounding decidedly disgruntled. It would appear that the little one wasn't happy. Glancing up at Optimus, he found light blue optics mirroring his amusement. Orion was such an adorable Sparkling.

Staring at the tiny figure in Ironhide's hand, Will couldn't help but smile. The vivid green optics were definitely Orion's, and the mech was only slightly larger than the teen had been when he was a human. Moving closer, Will could hear the soft twittering clicks and chirps which he was fairly sure would have been curses judging by the tone. He had to arch an eyebrow at that.

"Orion." Hearing the gentle scolding tone come from Optimus, Will felt his grin widen, especially when Orion chirped something especially rude sounding and gave the Autobot leader the middle finger salute. It would seem that Orion wasn't a morning person.

"Looks like someone's grumpy."

Will fought back a grin when Orion suddenly turned around, his green optics narrowed in a dangerous glare at Epps as he hissed and whirred rapidly, undoubtedly insulting the man, and rather creatively too by the tone. He wouldn't say anything though, since as far as he was concerned, Orion deserved some slack. The poor kid had not only gotten involved in an alien war, he wakes up after nearly dying to find he's no longer human. It was rather admirable how well the kid was keeping it together.

"It's good to see you too." Epps grinned when Orion's glare darkened, but the former human teenager didn't respond to the teasing tone. Instead, he grabbed a cushion and flung it at him, his glare turning into what could only be called a pout. Insulting someone didn't really work if they couldn't understand what you were saying.

"Hey now, I was only teasing, no need to sulk."That seemed to just make Orion pout even more, drawing chuckles from Optimus and Ironhide.

"How this happened, I do not know, but I must agree with Orion's theory. It is most likely that the All Spark is responsible for his change. His body was not meant to deal with the Cube's energy. Since the city wasn't leveled in the Cube's destruction, the energy must have entered Orion, which would also explain why he was able to save Jazz from offlining."

"Do you know if this change is permanent?" Scrambling off of Ironhide's hand, Orion moved to the computer, quickly typing what he couldn't say.

I don't think it is. I'll probably change back once my body is no longer in danger of being overwhelmed by the Cube's energy. I may even be able to shift between being human and being a robot. For now though, I'm stuck like this.

"That's possible. Ratchet, is there anything you can do to help him speak?"

"No, but it shouldn't last for long. My scans reveal that there is nothing wrong with him. I believe that his body is still sorting itself out from the change. He's a bit awkward in his movements, but that is slowly changing as he adapts to his new body. He can speak, as you've heard, but he hasn't quite grasped how to use the language he wants. It is surprising that he isn't having more problems than just speech."

Staring up at Ratchet, Orion suddenly remembered something Sirius had once told him about being an Animigus. Once he had managed the change, he had needed to learn how to control his body. A lot of it was instinctual, but some of it had needed a concentrated effort for him to do consciously. Sirius had compared it to his ability to talk to snakes. When confronted with a snake, he spoke the serpent tongue without thinking, but like in his second year when he had tried to find the Chamber of Secrets, he had to focus on the image of a snake and believe that it was alive. Maybe, if he focused on speaking in English, he would speak it.

Looking up at Ironhide, Orion decided to focus on saying his name. After several tries, with nothing more than clicks, Orion decided to try a different approach, instead focusing on how he made the noise. That failed miserably. Crossing his arms, Orion tried to think of another way to solve his speech problem. Speaking with a human didn't change it, so it wasn't exactly similar to his Parseltongue ability. Pacing in a small circle, Orion twittered quietly to himself, trying to see if pronouncing each letter would help. It didn't, but Orion refused to give up. He would find a way to speak, even if he fried a few circuits.

That thought had him stopping in his tracks. He was no longer human, so that had to mean he processed information differently. All he needed to do was find the 'program' that allowed him to speak and switch the language to English. That thought seemed to unlock something in him since he felt a brief surge go through his vocal processors. Crawling back into Ironhide's hand, Orion decided to give speaking one more try.

"Ironhide." His voice sounded strange to him, but he had definitely spoken in English.

"Aww, isn't that sweet. The little one's first word is Ironhide. Aren't you happy Papa Ironhide?" Turning, Orion glared at Jazz.

"Slaggin' heap of scrap metal, shoulda left your aft to rust you weak-Sparked wannabe Autobot." Orion was prevented from saying more as Ironhidecarefully placed a finger to his mouth, covering the lower half of his face completely, as well as most of his chest. Getting the hint to stop talking, Orion gave Jazz a dark glare as he scowled.

"Orion, where did you learn such language?" Grinning evilly, he pointed at Jazz, the silver mech giving a yelp when Optimus turned narrowed blue optics onto him.

"Hey, the little menace is lying."

"No I'm not. I heard Jazz say that as soon as Ratchet gave him the okay, he was going to hunt down any slaggin' Decepticon scum that dared to show themselves and kick their afts so badly they would willingly crawl into the Pits out of embarrassment. He also said that the slaggers would be lucky if he didn't shove their heads into their afts once he got his hands on them." And it was true. He had heard Jazz muttering to himself about it.

"Jazz!" Even though it wasn't his name that had been yelled, Orion gave a quiet screech as Ratchet stormed into the hanger. Jazz was slowly edging away from the approaching mech, blue optics wide.

"Using such language in front of a Sparkling. I should remove your vocal processors. And you, don't think you aren't in trouble." Squeaking, Orion hid behind Ironhide's fingers. Ratchet was scary.

"Ratchet, you're scaring him." Hearing the amusement in Ironhide's voice, Orion tumbled out of the mech's hand and over to Optimus, holding his arms up to the large mech. Sure, it may have been amusing that he was afraid of Ratchet when he had faced Megatron, but Orion didn't think that Ironhide should laugh at him.

"They're being mean, I don't like it." His voice sounding pathetic, Orion trailed off into sad twitters and clicks as he looked up at Optimus with dim optics. In moments, he was lifted into a large hand and held against the Autobot leader's chest. Curling into a ball, he cuddled the cushion that Optimus handed him as he rested against his chest.

"It's alright little one. Go ahead and take a nap, you'll feel better when you wake up." Chirping quietly, Orion decided to listen to the large mech since a nap did sound like a good idea. He needed all of the rest he could get. Saving Jazz had drained him of almost all of his reserves, which were still quite low considering how much rest he had already gotten. Soon enough he found himself in a sound recharge.

Once he was sure that Orion was asleep, Optimus gently tucked the sleeping Sparkling into his carrying hold with a majority of his cushions. With Orion safely tucked away, Optimus gave each of his Autobots a harsh look.

"Need I remind each of you that he is a Sparkling? Orion has taken not only our existence remarkably well, but his sudden transformation. Primus, did you forget what he wrote? His change happened after he had a nightmare about Megatron. He was helpless and had no hope of being rescued. He admitted to being terrified, to wanting to be allowed to be a scared youngling. He had managed to speak, but that was before he became distressed at your teasing."

Looking chastised, the three Autobots kept their gaze downcast. It was second nature to them to tease each other, and they usually knew how far they could go without really offending one another. They had teased Orion, simply responding to how the little Sparkling had teased them. They would need to be careful in the future, especially with what they teased him about. Ironhide was feeling especially guilty. He had been there to witness one of Orion's nightmares. He needed to make it up to the little mech, and apologizing just wouldn't cut it.

"Does Orion's change affect his mental age? I mean, if he's the equivalent of a human child, does he possess the same mental capabilities he did as a human? 'Cause, what he just did reminded me of a little kid."

"I agree with Epps. You said something about Orion being in his 'first frame'. I get how he's more vulnerable physically, but what other differences are there between him and you guys?"

"That is a very good question. Ratchet, can you answer it?"

Looking around at the gathered group, Ratchet shifted a bit uncomfortably. "In terms of how Orion is different from an adult of our race is fairly similar to how a child is different from an adult of the human race. In a sense at least, it is similar. There are three stages, so to speak, that a human goes through; a child, a teenager, and an adult. A child grows both mentally and physically, learning what can be considered basics, such as how to walk and speak. A teenager then builds off of that foundation of basics as they shift from being a child to being an adult. They adapt to their almost grown body and begin to shape their opinions of the world and the things around them. Adults physically stop growing and their bodies will only weaken as they get older. Mentally, adults are capable of more complex reasoning, logic, and thought processes than a child."

"Basically, your saying a kid's brain usually hasn't developed enough to really understand more complex things. Like trying to teach them how to do Calculus when they haven't learned Algebra."

"Not the best example to use, but it works well enough. Our race has three stages of 'growth' as well, so to speak. Sparklings, younglings, and mechs, not necessarily the right terms to use, are the equivalent of a child, teenager, and adult. Although, the term youngling can refer to any one that is not an adult, or sometimes to just any one that is younger. And mech is a general term-"

"For the purpose of your comparison, we will ignore the other ways the terms can be used for the moment." Blinking at Keller, Ratchet sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. He had been getting off topic.

"Right. Physically, we do not grow like humans. We go through what we call, 'frames'. There are three of them, and they are how we differentiate between, a Sparkling, a youngling, and a mech. The first frame is where a Sparkling learns the basics. They learn how to move, what programs do what, how their different systems work. A Sparkling is so vulnerable because the first frame is made up of only the most basic systems and programs. Their processors aren't advanced enough to handle the more complex programs and systems that are incorporated in the second and third frames."

Furrowing his brow, Lennox held up a hand to stop Ratchet from continuing. He was slightly lost. "Using Epps math example from earlier, a Sparkling's processor is able to handle basic math, like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, but not algebra or geometry?"

"You could look at it that way. Using that example, in the second frame, a youngling is capable of algebra and geometry, but not calculus or trigonometry. A mech, in the third frame, however is."

"So, y'all get upgrades with each frame. How are the second and third frames different? Besides getting bigger and weapons."

"The second frame, besides having more programs and systems, is when a youngling learns to transform. They gain more parts and aren't nearly as vulnerable as they were as a Sparkling. The strength of our Sparks often determines how large a frame we can support. For example, Jazz's Spark wouldn't be able to maintain Ironhide's frame so it is fully functional. It doesn't have the same power output. Ironhide's Spark on the other hand, would be capable to maintaining Jazz's frame, with enough power to spare for a handful of weapon additions." Pausing in his explanation, Ratchet carefully considered his next words.

"The strength of our Sparks doesn't directly translate to how strong a mech is. It just determines how large or small a frame we will have."

"Kinda like how our genes determine what we look like, what kind of build and body type we will have, how tall or short we'd be. It's not something we control, it just is." Looking at Epps, Ratchet nodded his head. That was actually a fairly good comparison to use.

"Exactly, except we have some choice. There's a limit on how big or small we can be because of the strength of our Sparks. Jazz can actually have a larger frame if he really wanted, not as big as Ironhide or me, but fairly close to Bumblebee. The second frame is usually the size in the middle of what their Spark can maintain. In the third frame, we chose how large or small we want to be, as well as the tools or weapons we want. Of course, it's possible to make changes later, or to get 'upgrades' as you put it, but these changes are minimal as this is our final frame. There are some mechs that decide they want to be bigger or smaller, but those are personal choices, and can be a bit of a hassle to make the change. I don't believe we will need to worry about creating Orion's second frame for a while, he is an extremely young Sparkling."

"I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing."

"Think of it as a good thing John. Although each Sparkling is different, there does come a point when a Sparkling is unable to stay in their first frame anymore. A Sparkling usually receives their second frame when their Spark begins to reach the point where it has grown too powerful to be contained in their first frame without threatening to short out something. Because Orion is so young, we will have time to properly build his second frame with the resources we have available to us. And it will take time."

"We won't have to worry about his second frame for a while Optimus. When I told you that Orion was an extremely young Sparkling, I meant it. He's just barely old enough to no longer be considered newly Sparked. In human terms, it is comparable to the difference between an infant and a toddler."

Looking at the three gaping humans, Optimus realized that Ratchet never really answered the original question. "Ratchet, do you know if this change has affected Orion's mentality?"

"It obviously has, but I couldn't tell you to what extent. Or even begin to guess. From what I've seen and heard about Orion, he was both very mature and collected. That was before his change. Right now, he seems younger instead of older. His actions and responses aren't as guarded or controlled. When he went to you Optimus, he was clearly a young child seeking comfort. In his notes however, it is clear that his mind wasn't that of a child, but could be compared to an adult. It is entirely possible that he will switch back and forth, or slowly regress back to a younger mentality. It is even possible that he will react as a child to the same insecurities he had as one."

Remembering how Orion had written about never being allowed to show his fear, the group stood in silent contemplation. They would have to be careful in how they acted around Orion, but if they were too careful, they risked causing just as much harm as being careless. It was going to be a fine line to walk. They would also need to be upfront with Orion and his situation. He had earned the right to be treated as an equal, as well as their respect as an individual. Of course, Optimus could already tell that it wouldn't stop any of them from treating Orion as a Sparkling and spoiling him, not to mention protecting him.

Glancing at Ironhide, Optimus suppressed the urge to hit the weapon's specialist over the head with Ratchet's wrench. It was easy to tell that the weapon loving mech was feeling guilty over teasing Orion about being scared of Ratchet. Ironhide had already adopted the little Sparkling when Orion had been human, now he was feeling guilty over hurting the little one.

Feeling said Sparkling curled against his Spark chamber, Optimus had a feeling that when Orion woke, all would be forgiven and forgotten. That wouldn't stop Ironhide from trying to make it up to the little mech. It would probably have the opposite effect and make him even more determined to do something for Orion.

"Fear's a sore topic for the kid. Well, there's one thing we know we have to be careful about." Interlacing his hands behind his head, Epps stared at where Orion was hidden from view in Optimus' chest. This was going to be a learning experience for all of them. He could only hope that Orion wouldn't get hurt too badly.

Then again, as he looked around at all of those that were present, it was very unlikely that Orion would even scrape his knee, or the equivalent of that for a Sparkling. A grin splitting his face, Epps barely kept himself from cackling. Being assigned to the Autobot base was going to be fun, especially with Orion around.

Looking at Epps, Ironhide wondered why the human was smiling. The situation was far from something to grin about, and yet the man was smiling so widely, he looked like he had won the lottery. It didn't make sense, Orion's change was a serious matter. He was essentially an adult that was turned back into a child. A Sparkling.

Optics widening, Ironhide found himself grinning as well. Epps was looking at the situation the right way. From what Orion had admitted, he didn't have a normal childhood. This was a second chance for Orion. And they were the ones responsible for Orion's well-being. Ironhide now knew how he could make it up to the little one for teasing him about being scared of Ratchet. He would make sure that Orion enjoyed himself, regardless of whether or not he remained a Sparkling or turned back into a human.

"Ratchet, how long until Jazz will have the all clear?" Practically humming with excitement, Ironhide hoped that it would be really soon. He had plans and would need Jazz's help on more than half of them.

"If he cooperates, agrees to take it easy and submit himself to check ups, I can give him a clean slate in two days. But that's only if I get everything set up today and can work uninterrupted. If not, it will probably take me a month to have him fully repaired. Why?"

"That's good. Bumblebee will be here with Sam and Mikaela tomorrow afternoon, sometime between two and four, depending on traffic and what not. Sam said something about having a three-day weekend and having only a half day. They'll be able to distract Orion on Monday, as well as for most of the weekend. Jazz, you better cooperate with Ratchet or I'll give you another reason for needing to be in his care." Satisfied that Jazz wouldn't delay his recovery by being his usual stubborn self, including being the one of the worse patients ever to exist, Ironhide began to quickly skim through what he knew they had on the base.

He was going to turn one of the smaller hangars into a personal playground for Orion. It was also going to be human friendly since like Orion had said, it wasn't guaranteed that he would remain a Sparkling. Luckily for him, the little one was the size of a human still, which made it easier to turn the playground into something that Sam and Mikaela could enjoy with Orion. The hangar would not only be Orion's playground, but his room as well.

Half of the hangar he would build an obstacle course in. It would not only help Orion get used to moving in his body, it would be perfect to play paintball or laser tag in with Sam and Mikaela. Good training for all three of the younglings. The other half of the hangar, he had no idea what he really should do with it, aside from having a portion set up as a sleep area, as well as having an entertainment area of some kind. Maybe he would need to ask for help. Jazz would be very helpful in designing and setting up the obstacle course.

Deciding that he would ask Ironhide what he had planned later, Optimus turned his attention back to Keller. "Thank you for getting things here so quickly. It will be a relief when Jazz is no longer in danger of something coming loose."

"That is good news. As surprising as Orion's situation is, it is good to know that he is awake. The other reason why I came here personally, besides to see how Orion is doing, was to tell you that Lennox and Epps have been assigned to your base. Others from their unit may also be assigned here in the future, but for now they are being assigned elsewhere. I want to keep the knowledge of your existence as quiet as possible right now. Lennox and Epps will be here to accept deliveries of the less conspicuous items that you may order. Anything else that will raise questions, will be delivered like it was today, but it is unlikely that I will be there unless my presence is absolutely needed."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet. For the next few months, Orion will be staying here so you can monitor his health in case of any adverse effects from destroying the All Spark. After that, I will need a reason for why Orion is still staying here with you. People will start asking questions, and there's only so much I can do to keep them at bay."

"I understand. Hopefully, in the coming months, we will have a solution to this problem." And they would need one. Optimuswasn't naive enough to think that there wouldn't be humans out there that would want to experiment on Orion, not to mention Decepticons. Orion would need to be a closely guarded secret.

Leaving Optimus and Keller to discuss politics, Ratchet set Jazz to helping him fine tune some of the smaller parts that he would need while he directed both X-Brawn and Sideburn in the setting up of his med-bay. Ironhide opted to take both Lennox and Epps out to pick up some of the things they would need on the base that they hadn't brought with them. Things like toilet paper, food that wasn't MREs, and anything else that caught their eye, including cleaning supplies. The base may not have been uninhabitable, but it wasn't exactly quite livable just yet. There would need to be some serious cleaning done, especially with how much dust there was present.

By the time Ironhide came back with Lennox and Epps, Keller and the other humans were gone. Given the fact that the sun had set a few hours ago, that was to be expected. Especially since Ironhide had spent more than a few hours arguing with both men over some aspect of Orion's playground. Ironhide hadn't been able to keep his idea secret, not when he needed the two men to buy some needed supplies. That was how 'Operation Disneyland' began. Orion's playground had changed from a single level obstacle course/playground to a mini amusement park. The basic sketches he had come up with had been fleshed out quite a bit by the two soldiers, Epps even commenting on how Ironhide would need to consider whether or not he would make it possible for the mechs to enter the hangar or not.

Which was why an aisle large enough for the Autobots to walk down would divide the hangar in half from the door to the very back. The playground bit of Orion's hangar was taken care of. That just left the other half of the hangar. Which Epps had already claimed. All Ironhide and Will heard was that he would be getting help from Mikaela and Sam and that they were to leave it to him. Something that Ironhide was more than happy to do. He had no idea what Orion might like and he wanted this to be perfect. Will didn't care that he wouldn't be helping. 'Operation Disneyland' was much more interesting, especially since he had convinced Ironhide to make a portion of it more than one floor. There was a reason why Disneyland was so popular, and it wasn't just because kids enjoyed going there.

* * *

A/N: The ending may seem a bit abrupt, but I didn't want to start 'Operation Disneyland' until the next chapter. I'm going to have so much fun with that. If you want to see something specific, feel free to make a suggestion. If I use the idea, I'll be sure to give credit to you. Because the next chapter will be dealing with not only Orion's new 'playground', but Sam, Mikaela, and Bumblebee's reactions as well, it will most likely be the longest chapter yet. I hope that I didn't confuse anyone too badly, but I wanted to establish that Orion will behave a bit erradically in the coming chapters. His mind may be older, but his body is physically younger, and will impact how he reacts at various points.  
In any case, I thank all who have left such nice and encouraging reviews. I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter and will look forward to the next when I have gotten around to finally getting it written and posted. Thanks for reading, and reviews always make me smile. Cookies to all my readers, with brownies for all my reviewers.


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